Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

I LOVE ordering crab and artichoke dip when I go to restaurants. I was so disappointed when Cactus Club discontinued theirs a couple years ago.... I know, I know, they have to constantly update their menu to keep with the times and such, but honestly, why get rid of a good thing? I was pretty excited when I found this recipe for crab and artichoke dip. It isn't quite up to snuff with Cactus Club's dip, but it is pretty darn close. :)

Another great thing about this recipe is how easy and quick it is. Step 1 - gather ingredients; Step 2 - Whirl ingredients in food processor; Step 3 - Bake til hot. Thats it - its that simple. One thing I would recommend - don't use canned crab. Use either lump frozen crab meat or fresh crab meat. It honestly makes a big difference in the taste and texture of this dip.


Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip
Recipe from The Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich

Ingredients:

• one 4-oz package cream cheese
• 2 tbsp bottled chili sauce
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 1 cup finely grated fresh parmesan or romano cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
• one 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 cup fresh or frozen crabmeat
• smoked paprika for garnish

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor, add cream cheese, chili sauce, lemon juice, horseradish, mayonnaise, yogurt, parmesan, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Process until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl so all ingredients are well combines. Add the artichoke hearts, garlic, green onions and crabmeat (be sure to pick through the crab to remove any bits of shell or cartilage). Pulse a few times, just to combine. Spoon the dip into a small baking dish. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese and some smoked paprika, and bake for 20-30 minutes or until it begins to bubble and starts to brown on top. Serve this dip hot, with pita chips or crostini (I like tortilla chips too).

Pretty easy huh? Any yummy! You can make a restaurant quality starter for your dinner party and impress your guests (or bring back some nostalgic feelings about Cactus Clubs delicious dip...)! I am heading out of town this week for work, so might not be blogging as much as I should be. But I have set up a few posts to attempt while I'm out of town, so we'll see how it goes. Hope all of you have an awesome Sunday and a great week! Today I'm making Ginger Cake with a Warm Apple Compote before I head off and leave hubby to fend for himself this week... at least he'll have cake!

Happy Cooking my Friends!