Crab dip has become a staple in my entertaining repertoire. My mom and I worked on multiple variations until we got it right. I change it up a little bit each time, but I've never had a batch go wrong if I followed the basics:
Here's exactly what I did the last time I made it, and I have to say it was the best batch I've ever made. **Make sure you go by what I wrote and NOT by the quantities in the picture.**
Using the microwave in 30 second increments, I melt together:
1 8 oz. carton of regular cream cheese
1 8 oz. carton of chive & onion cream cheese
4 oz. of sour cream
When it's nice and soft, I add in the crab. I prefer the shredded texture, but my husband prefers lump crab meat. So I usually use one can of each (for two cans total).
Then I add in several dashes of Worchestire sauce. I don't measure this, but if I had to then I would guess maybe two tablespoons?
Other "dashes" to taste:
Lowery's seasoning salt, garlic powder, a little more than a dash (maybe a tablespoon) of sugar
A handful of grated sharp cheddar cheese
A handful of grated parmesan
Mix it all up together. It looks kinda gross. It's not.
After some rigorous stirring, it will still be mostly white looking.
Scoop it into a baking dish (I spray non-stick on it before).
Then add a thin layer of shredded parmesan on top. If you're making this for a party, you can make the top cheese layer as thick and yummy as you want. If you're making it for a small group, and think you might be reheating it, then keep the layer of cheese thin-ish. Trust me. Reheated baked cheese tends to get harder and harder in a bad way.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until it's hot and bubbly.
I serve it with blue corn chips. Make sure you don't get the unsalted kind. Those taste stale to me.
I know it's kind of plain looking, but it has tons of taste. I've served it everywhere from book club to baby showers and it's always a hit.
Happy eating!