The heat has finally broke in Southern California, knock on wood. I know. I know. Boo-hoo. But it was hot. Really, really hot. And I’m definitely sympathetic when it’s 40 below in Minnesota. Okay, maybe sympathetic is a bit of stretch, since I’ve been known to send pictures of the beach to friends, but I swear, deep inside of me, there is a smidgen of sympathy. Or not. After all, I totally did 31 years of hard time, dealing with sub-zero temperatures. I just hope that it stays cool and the much needed rain continues to occasionally grace us.
I like rain but Max loves it. Seriously. When it rains, he immediately races to the patio doors so he can watch it. He is a weird cat. Loves water, except when you accidentally, on purpose, spill it on him. Then he is, oddly enough, not such a huge fan.
Thanksgiving is Coming!
With the cooler temperatures, it does finally feel like Fall, which makes it easier for me to start thinking about Thanksgiving. It’s only a few weeks away, people! How is that possible? I just can’t believe we’re winding down 2015. Yesterday, I booked my flight home for the holidays and can’t wait to celebrate with my family, even if it is cold!
But before we start gearing up for Christmas, we need to make it through Thanksgiving. And I am big fan of Thanksgiving. It is gluttony at its finest. Because I’m a huge fan of appetizers, I searched high and low for a delicious appetizer to serve on Turkey Day (or whenever you darn well feel like eating a decadent dip).
A Decadent Appetizer to Wow Thanksgiving Guests
Now this may offend some people, especially those who live where crab is plentiful, but I used imitation crab in this dip. See, I’m from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, not the land of crab cakes. Crab is not plentiful where I grew up. Imitation crab doesn’t bother me and a nearby store sells it in bulk at a really low price.
Of course, if you are a die-hard crab fan or your budget permits it, feel free to substitute real crab in the dip. My feelings won’t be hurt. One of the reasons I chose this appetizer was because it was versatile and easy to make. It’s such a busy time that I wanted to featured something you could mix in advance and just heat when needed.
Crab and Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise, recommend Best Foods or Hellmans
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 1-4 garlic cloves (to taste), finely minced
- 2 teaspoons (or to taste) siracha sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained
- 8 oz. package imitation crab meat, roughly chopped into big pieces
- Green onion slices and crackers for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a small baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients, minus the crab, and stir together until fully combined. Gently stir in crab, being careful not to break-up pieces.
- Pour into prepared dish and bake for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Top with green onions, and serve warm with crackers.
Notes
While you can use a fat-free mayo and sour cream, I prefer and recommend using a full-fat version, unless you can’t for dietary reasons. I find the low fat/fat-free versions get really greasy for some strange reason.
Recipe adapted from Mother Thyme
It is a very rich dip but tasty. And if you have leftovers, the dip is amazing as the filling in an omelette or my personal favorite, smearing a generous portion over a piece of tilapia, then baking until the fish is done and the dip is warm (about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees). This is dip is real winner, however you make it, and your guests will devour at Thanksgiving or any other time you serve it.
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
This looks so good, and I’m not a seafood lover. I know I would wow the fam making this. It’s one of the last things they’d expect me to make since I don’t eat seafood much.
Thanks for the recipe. I hope you’re enjoying your week!
Cori
I wasn’t a big seafood fan growing up but now I like it … well, most of the time! LOL! This would definitely wow your family and you might not even mind it! Have a great weekend, Cori!
Tanya, Tanya, Tanya… your recipes and the pictures that accompany them are simply to die-for! Seriously, I am not a fan of crab unless it is mixed in with something, so your recipe is something I would definitely partake of 🙂 And your mentioning of putting it on tilapia? Swooning over here… 😉
Thanks, Mackenzie! You made my day. I’ve been taking pictures of food for years and still feel like an amateur. 🙂 This is sooooo good, and seriously took less than 5 minutes to make. And it is ah-mazing over tilapia and served with rice. I’d honestly make the dip for that alone!