Aunt Joan’s Crab Dip

My great Aunt Joan lives in Bethany Beach, Delaware – which, if you are unaware, is crab country! We would visit Aunt Joan every August when our entire family would head to Sea Colony (a magical place where we drank Mike’s Hard Lemonade at wild beach bonfires at 13, whoops!), and she would always have her famous crab dip waiting for us. I’ve worked hard to reverse engineer this dip based on my fondest memories, and I’m so excited to share this recipe with you all.

SHOPPING LIST: 1 lb. lump crab, whipped cream cheese, shredded cheddar, mayonnaise, chopped garlic, Worcestershire sauce, 1 egg, mustard, old bay, Tabasco, lemon, dried parsley, olive oil

The best thing about this dip is EVERYONE loves it (unless they are allergic to shellfish or KOSHER ha!), and it’s relatively easy to whip up and it’s perfect for entertaining. AS ALWAYS, grease your baking dish with olive and oil and pre-heat your dish in a 400 degree oven while you’re mixing up the dip so you can ensure extra crispy edges!!!

In a large bowl, crack and whisk one egg. Add 1 lb. of lump crab meat (or jumbo lump if you’re really fancy!), 12 oz. whipped cream cheese, 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 cup of shredded cheddar, 1 tB. of mustard, 1 tB. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tB. Old Bay, 1 tB. chopped garlic, the juice of one lemon and 5 dashes of tabasco. Mix well, remove your hot baking dish from the oven, and fill the hot baking dish with your dip. Top with another cup of shredded cheddar and finish with a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning and dried parsley flakes.

Bake your dip in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until your dip is perfectly browned on top. Cover immediately with tin foil and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes so that you don’t permanently burn the roofs of your guests’ mouths.

This is seriously one of the BEST. DIPS. EVER. Serve it with a mix of crackers and crudite. Also — use this exact same mixture as a stuffing for baby portobellos! Bake them 15 minutes with the same shredded cheddar and dried parsley topping. Nothing like a good old 2-for-1 special!!