Football is BACK! Well, almost. Preseason has begun and we in this house couldn’t be more excited! This is, in our family, the most wonderful time of the year. đÂ
But with any game day comes a need for shareable eats. So let this be the first installment of 2016 game day snackage. Seriously, you don’t want to miss this. It comes together ridiculously easily and is one of those things you just make a ton of to share (or hoard for yourselves) without much fuss or thought. I love this recipe most because it blends the flavors of New Orleans with Maryland, so it’s the perfect blend for me (on that note, tell me you’ve tried this stuffing!). I think my favorite Cajun seasoning right now is Slap Ya Mama (the hot one, though they have less spicy blends as well). Daddy put us on to it and I love it because of it’s well-rounded flavor to go with the heat. No additional salt required (at least for me). That paired with some good ol’ Old Bay and I’m a happy, happy girl. I’m sure if Anthony was making it, there would be some jerk seasoning in here somewhere… Maybe next time.
I will say crab meat can be a little pricey, but if you’re going to do it, get the best. You can totally taste the difference. And since this dip has a high ratio of crab to dip, it really, really matters. Like a lot. So maybe save this for your family’s favorite match-up and only invite people you really care about if you want to keep it within a reasonable budget. đÂ
- 8oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama spicy Cajun seasoning
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions
- 2 large cloves garlic, grated
- ¼ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
- ½ lb wild caught jumbo lump crab meat
- ¼ - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
- Unsalted butter, for the pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack placed in the center.
- Add the softened cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay and Slap Ya Mama to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or large wooden spoon (or, if you're doubling or tripling the recipe, a stand mixer would be great) to blend everything together until smooth. Then grate the garlic over top of the bowl and add the scallions and parsley, stirring everything in until evenly distributed. Gently fold in the crab meat, keeping the lumps in tact as much as possible.
- Spoon the mixture into a 1-quart oven safe baking dish and spread into an even layer. Top with parmesan cheese and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.