Name: Light and Creamy Hot Crab Dip
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Yield: Serves 12 (Makes 4 cups)
Ingredients: 1 slice hearty white sandwich bread; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped fine; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 3/4 pound lump crabmeat (picked over); 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning; 1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature; 1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese; 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We developed our Light and Creamy Hot Crab Dip recipe with all the flavor of the original, but only a fraction of the calories and cholesterol. To start, we substituted light cream cheese, low-fat sour cream, and low-fat cheddar cheese for the full-fat originals. We pumped up the seasonings and added deep-flavored Parmesan cheese to compensate for the missing fat. Finally, we finished our Light and Creamy Hot Crab Dip with fresh bread crumbs for the crispest texture.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

For the topping: Process bread and cheese in food processor until finely ground, about 15 seconds.

For the base: Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and pepper and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in crabmeat and Old Bay Seasoning.

Pulse cream cheese, cheddar, sour cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, parsley, and cayenne with prepared crab mixture until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into prepared dish. (Dip can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring back to room temperature before baking.)

Sprinkle topping over dip and lightly spray crumbs with cooking spray. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve.