Hot Crab Dip

If my husband ever had a reason to be jealous, it wouldn't be because of another man. But dip, now there's something to worry about. See, at some point in my life, I gave my heart to hummus, spinach artichoke dip, and anything else that plays well with pita. And now, nothing can be done to stop this love affair.

There’s just something so irresistible about the combination of crunchy, salty chips and creamy dip. One bite throws me into a trance, with glazed over eyes and zombie-like arm-to-mouth movements that do not...will not...subside until every last bit is gobbled up, scraped and licked clean. That's when I look up from my empty plate and realize that the last fifteen minutes of meaningful conversation with my husband had been one-sided. On his side. And jealousy ensues, without a doubt.

 

One of the most addictive dips I've ever had, fittingly called "crack dip," is sadly something I just have to restrict from my kitchen because the recipe comes with a death sentence. Cream cheese, ranch dressing, blue cheese, hot sauce, canned chicken and cheddar. Yes, that is the recipe. Not a list of every condiment in my fridge.

But I've been craving it. A lot. So I riffled through recipes and finally turned to this hot, cheesy crab dip instead. With a few lightened ingredients, but plenty of zesty, creamy goodness, it seemed to fit the bill without the added ridiculousness.

It really did hit the spot. Creamy, cheesy, crabby. Perfect with melba toast. And a little extra hot sauce adds just the right amount of kick. In fact, I’m sure I could sit for hours, a bowl of this dip in my lap, armed with only a bag of melba toasts and a remote control and be quite happy with life. Just don't tell the hubby. He's already begun to give our jar of salsa the evil eye.

Hot Crab dip

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, November 2006

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: about 3 tablespoons)

Ingredients:

1  cup  fat-free cottage cheese

1/2  teaspoon  grated lemon rind

2  tablespoons  lemon juice

1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard

1 1/2  teaspoons  Worcestershire sauce

1  teaspoon  hot sauce (or more if you like more zest.)

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1  garlic clove, minced

1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2  tablespoons  chopped green onion

1  pound  lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed

Cooking spray

2  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4  cup  dry breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Combine cottage cheese mixture, cream cheese, and onion in a large bowl; gently fold in crab.

Place crab mixture in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve warm with melba toast or pita chips.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 63 (53% from fat), Fat: 3.1g (sat 1.8g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.0g), Protein: 6.8g, Carbohydrate: 1.9g, Fiber: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Iron: 0.3mg, Sodium: 264mg, Calcium: 29mg.

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