Hot & Cheesy Crab Dip

This is one of the staple appetizers that I make for all my family parties! And since I'm Filipino, I make this A LOT... because we have A LOTTT of family parties :D That's the fun part of having a big Filipino fam <3 This hot & cheesy crab dip is definitely a crowd pleaser and one of my cousins (*cough* Rae *cough*) is known to eat the entire platter throughout the night! haha I started making this a few years ago and I get asked for the recipe EVERY TIME! So it's way overdue that this recipe makes it onto a basicallycooking blog post :)

Oh and don't worry, it's super easy to make and you can throw this together in under 10 minutes! It's a perfect app for any beginner cooks or someone who isn't super confident in the kitchen yet. It's basically mixing together a bunch of cheese, some green onions and jalapenos with imitation crab and then baking it in the oven until it gets ooey gooey!! When I'm making this before a big gathering, I tend to just throw a bunch of ingredients together, depending on what I have left over at that moment but the recipe below is my go-to if I have all these ingredients on hand. Feel free to mix it up with different herbs... maybe some dill? that could be delish! or some chives, maybe some onion too? Or get fancy with the cheese! It's totally up to you, this dip can be tailored to you and your fam's taste buds! Come to think of it, I might try to spice it up next time with different herbs! Also, you can totally use real crab meat if you wish! But for convenience, I just grab a pack of flaked imitation crab at the grocery store :)

It's best served with crunchy nacho chips but would work well with crusty bread or even pita slices! You can even eat with some fresh carrots and celery to cut down on *some* calories ;) I personally prefer it when it's hot right out of the oven, but it tastes just as great at room temperature as well! Sometimes if there's leftovers (which is very rare!) the next day I microwave it for 30-45 seconds just to get the cheese a little melty again!

Take a peek at the pics and recipe below and let me know if you get a chance to make it yourself! Your family and friends will love you for it <3

Hot & Cheesy Crab Dip

1 package of flaked imitation crab, sliced into thick pieces

1 jalapeno, minced

1 package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 1/2 C of shredded cheese (I use the Tex Mex mix)

1 stalk of green onions, minced

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Add all ingredient to a large bowl and mix until everything is combined (Using your clean hands works best). Add the mixture to a shallow medium sized baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. Broil for another 2-5 minutes so the top bits get a little browned. And that is it! Serve hot with nacho chips, devour & enjoy!!!