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Crab Dip Recipe

Name: Tubby's Tank House Thunderbolts CRAB DIP Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cups lump blue crab meat (picked over for shells); 8 oz cream cheese, softened; 1 cups sour cream; 0.5 cups mayonnaise; 1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 0.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese; 0.25 cups yellow onion, very finely diced; 2 tbs minced fresh parsley; 1 tbs fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 0.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or seafood seasoning); 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 clove); 0.5 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbs unsalted butter, melted (optional, for topping); 0.25 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for garnish); 1 each round sourdough loaf (about 10–12 oz); 1 tsp olive oil (to brush inside loaf); 4 cups fresh tortilla chips or pita chips

Inspired by Tubby's Tank House Thunderbolt

Time45m

Serves6

Blue crab meat blended with cheeses, cream, onion, and seasonings. Served in a warm sourdough bread bowl with fresh tortilla chips.

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Ingredients

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Crab Dip

1 cups lump blue crab meat (picked over for shells)

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cups Sour cream

1/2 cups Mayonnaise

1 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cups Grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cups yellow onion, very finely diced

2 tbs minced fresh parsley

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Original Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or seafood seasoning)

1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 clove)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbs unsalted butter, melted (optional, for topping)

1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for garnish)

Bread Bowl & Serving

1 each round sourdough loaf (about 10–12 oz)

1 tsp olive oil (to brush inside loaf)

4 cups fresh tortilla chips or pita chips

Method

Crab Dip

Prepare ingredients

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). If your cream cheese is not softened, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals until soft but not melted. Finely dice the yellow onion, mince the garlic, and pick over the crab meat to remove any shell fragments.

Mix base

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth with a spatula or hand mixer. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, and stir until fully combined and smooth.

Add cheeses and seasonings

Fold in the shredded cheddar and grated Parmesan, then add the finely diced onion, minced parsley, Old Bay seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning (add up to 1/2 tsp more Old Bay or a pinch more salt if needed).

Incorporate crab

Gently fold the lump crab meat into the cheese mixture, trying to keep some lumps intact for texture. Do not overmix to avoid breaking up the crab.

Transfer and top

Spoon the crab dip into an ovenproof baking dish or into the prepared sourdough bread bowl (see next section). Smooth the top, brush with melted butter if using, and sprinkle the smoked paprika over the top for color.

Bake

Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 18–22 minutes if in a dish, or 20–25 minutes if in the bread bowl, until the dip is bubbly and the top is lightly golden. If you prefer a browned top, switch to broil for the last 1–2 minutes while watching closely to prevent burning.

Finish

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. If baked in a separate dish, spoon into the hollowed bread bowl for serving.

Bread Bowl & Serving

Prepare bread bowl

While mixing the dip, use a serrated knife to cut a circle out of the top of the sourdough loaf. Hollow out the interior, leaving a 1–1.5 inch thick shell so it holds the dip. Brush the inside lightly with olive oil to help prevent sogginess.

Assemble and serve

If baking the dip inside the bread bowl, place the filled bowl on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake as directed above. Arrange fresh tortilla chips and/or pita chips around the bread bowl. Serve warm, scooping dip into chips and using the torn bread from the removed lid for additional dipping.

Storage

Leftover dip: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through or microwave in short intervals, stirring between. The hollowed sourdough can be stored in a paper bag for a day but will get soggy if stored filled.