Light and Creamy Hot Crab Dip
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 9, 2011
Yield
Serves 12 (Makes 4 cups)
Ingredients
Topping
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheeseCreamy Base
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine2 cloves garlic, minced¾ pound lump crabmeat (picked over)1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning 1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese ¼ cup low-fat sour cream 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley ½ teaspoon cayenne pepperInstructions
- 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.
Yield
Serves 12 (Makes 4 cups)Ingredients
Topping
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Creamy Base
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ pound lump crabmeat (picked over)
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients
Topping
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Creamy Base
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ pound lump crabmeat (picked over)
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients
Topping
1 slice hearty white sandwich bread
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Creamy Base
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ pound lump crabmeat (picked over)
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ 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.
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