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This rich Crab Spinach Artichoke Dip takes your standard party starter to new heights by mixing in sweet, tender crab meat. The smooth, dairy-filled base gets kicked up with a trio of cheeses, soft artichoke hearts, leafy spinach, and top-notch crab for a totally decadent snack that'll vanish from your party spread in seconds.
I whipped up this dip for an impromptu sports viewing party when I needed to wow my guests without kitchen stress. What began as a random try-out soon became the number one requested treat whenever friends come over.
Ingredients
- Lump crab meat: Gives a sweet gentle taste and fancy texture, grab the fresh kind from Costco for best flavor or go with canned to save money
- Frozen chopped spinach: Brings health benefits and pretty green color, just make sure you really wring out all the water to keep your dip thick
- Artichoke hearts: Add a subtle earthy flavor and soft texture, go for canned or frozen but skip the ones in oil or vinegar
- Cream cheese: Makes the smooth foundation, let it sit out to soften and pick the full-fat type for the tastiest results
- Sour cream: Adds a nice zing and cuts the heaviness, stick with full-fat for maximum smoothness
- Kewpie mayonnaise: Makes everything taste better with its silky feel and light sweetness, look for it in the world foods aisle
- Green onions: Add fresh zippy flavor that balances the rich cheeses
- Parmesan cheese: Packs a punch of savory goodness, always get the fresh refrigerated stuff not the powdery shelf kind
- Mozzarella cheese: Creates those amazing stretchy cheese pulls everyone loves when it's hot
- Garlic powder: Spreads garlicky taste throughout without being too strong
- Red pepper flakes: Bring a bit of warmth that makes all flavors pop, you can leave these out for folks who don't like spice
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Get Everything Ready:
- Set your oven to 350°F and coat a baking dish around 10.5x7.5 inches with butter or cooking spray. Completely defrost the frozen spinach then put it in a clean towel and squeeze out every bit of water. I like to save this spinach juice for my morning smoothies.
- Fix Your Ingredients:
- Cut artichoke hearts into small chunks so they'll spread nicely through the dip. Slice your green onions thinly to add bursts of freshness in each bite. Look through the crab meat carefully to make sure there aren't any pieces of shell hiding in there.
- Make The Smooth Base:
- In a big bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo until they're completely blended with no lumps at all. This mixture creates that dreamy texture that makes everyone come back for more.
- Throw Everything Together:
- Add your chopped artichokes, squeezed spinach, sliced green onions, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Parmesan, 3/4 cup of mozzarella, crab meat, salt and pepper to your creamy mixture. Stir everything gently so you don't break up those beautiful crab chunks.
- Cook It Up:
- Dump the mixture into your greased dish, spread it flat, then sprinkle the leftover mozzarella on top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the edges start to brown, then switch to broil for 2-5 minutes while watching like a hawk until the cheese gets bubbly and golden.
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What I love most about this dip is how the crab's sweetness makes the classic tastes even better without taking over. At my recent family get-together, even my brother-in-law who usually hates seafood went back for seconds and thirds, saying he never knew crab could work so well in a dip.
Prep Ahead Tricks
This crab spinach artichoke dip works wonders for busy hosts. You can mix everything up to 24 hours before and keep it covered in your fridge. Just let it warm up on the counter for about half an hour before putting it in the oven so it cooks evenly. If you want to plan way ahead, you can freeze the unbaked mixture for up to three months - just let it thaw in the fridge overnight before cooking.
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Great Dippers
This fancy dip deserves the right things to scoop it with. Crispy toasted bread slices stand up well to the chunky texture. Thick wavy potato chips offer a nice salty crunch that works with the creamy flavor. For a healthier choice, try fresh cut veggies like colorful bell peppers, cucumber rounds and small tomatoes. My personal favorite is warm pita cut into triangles with a bit of olive oil and sea salt brushed on top.
Fixing Problems
If your dip turns out runny after baking, you probably didn't get enough water out of the spinach. Next time, wring it harder or pat the crab dry with paper towels before mixing it in. Want it thicker? Add a bit more cream cheese or cut back on the sour cream. If your cheese top gets too brown before the middle is hot, just cover it loosely with foil during part of the baking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Which crab meat works best?
Lump crab meat tastes sweet and works great with this dish, but you can also use claw meat or canned crab to save money.
- → Can I go with fresh spinach?
Absolutely! Just cook it lightly, chop it up, and squeeze out extra liquid so it’s not soggy.
- → What cheese swaps can I try?
Fontina, Gruyere, aged cheddar, or even Gouda work well instead of Parmesan or mozzarella.
- → How do I prep ahead?
Get it all assembled and covered in the fridge. Pop it in the oven fresh before the crowd arrives.
- → What should I serve as dippers?
Try it with baguette slices, crackers, or crunchy veggie sticks like celery and carrots. All are winners!