Cheesy Crab and Jalapeño Dip

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This cheesy crab and jalapeño dip is a huge crowd pleaser, easy to prepare, and can be made ahead of time then baked at the last minute.

Have you ever had the following conversation with your husband or roommate?

Scotch:  “Hey! We’ve been invited over to {insert friend’s name here} for drinks.”

Me:  “That’s great! But we need to bring our own food.”

Scotch:  “What?”

Me:  “They never serve any food. Oh wait, hold on. Yes, last time I got a buttered roll. Not exactly my idea of snack food for cocktail hour.”

Scotch:  {Rolls eyes.}

I can’t help it. I think about food a lot. Even more so when I am drinking. I like snacking on cheese, charcuterie, pate, any type of tapas, dim sum… Just give me some good food. Not a buttered roll, please. Unless it’s fancy salted French butter served on soft homemade fresh bread straight out of the oven.

So I have a few recipes that I can whip up quickly to bring over to someone’s house – whether for cocktail hour, a play date or a book club meeting.

And this crab and jalapeño dip is one of my favorites. In fact, I sometimes can’t help it and serve myself larger helpings than I should instead of saving to share with others.

Now I wish there was a Costco in Dubai to buy jumbo crab meat from as fresh crab meat isn’t always available and when it is available, it’s soooo expensive.  I’ve tried a couple of canned alternatives but they all suck (too stringy or too much cartilage) except for the canned crab meat from John West. The crab is in nice chunks, not too small, no unwelcome bits of cartilage (so far), and the taste is just like crab. I think it retails for 20 dhs ($6) a can.

As for the cheese, I have experimented with many different combinations (Monterrey, Emmental, Gruyere) but found that you can’t go wrong with a good cheddar.

My recipe does not use fresh jalapeños but the pickled ones in a jar. In a pinch, you can substitute cayenne pepper but I tried that once and just didn’t like it as much. I like tasting the jalapeño’s in random bites. You know, surprise!

Finally, please use a good mayonnaise.  Why use a luxury ingredient like crab meat only to use inferior tasting mayo. Or low fat (unless your low fat is, like, better than full fat – in that case, definitely drop me a message and let me know which brand it is).

Personally, I love Hellmann’s brand mayo but not the stuff that’s sold here in Dubai which is produced locally and tastes like cardboard. I actually bring a Costco-sized container (64-oz!) of Hellman’s mayo back every summer and that will usually last me half the year until someone else from the States visits and replenishes my stock. Yes, that is nearly 2 kg of mayo in a jar but a lot of it goes into making dips for parties…

Now make this for your next get-together and please invite me over 🙂 .

Enjoy!

Cheesy Crab and Jalapeño Dip

Ginger and Scotch

This cheesy crab and jalapeño dip is a huge crowd pleaser, easy to prepare, and can be made a head of time then baked at the last minute.

3 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Servings 6 -8

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 pound (450g) jumbo lump crab meat or 2 cans John West crab chunks
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups (8 oz, 226g) cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (reserve about 2 Tb for sprinkling on top)
• 1/4 cup jalapeño slices from a jar/can , drained and diced (adjust amout to your desired spiciness)
• 2 bunch green onions , chopped, optional
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For serving - sliced French bread , table crackers, etc

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
• In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except 2 Tb Parmesan) until thoroughly mixed.
• Transfer dip to an oven-safe serving bowl and sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top.
• Bake for about 25 minutes in the middle rack until golden brown and bubbly.
• Serve hot with crackers or sliced French bread or whatever suits your fancy.

Notes

To save on time, buy pre-shredded or pre-grated cheese.

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