Nichole's Famous Crab Dip, Camilla-Style {SRC Reveal}

It's the first Monday of the month which means one thing: Secret Recipe Club reveal for Group A. This month I was assigned to Cookaholic Wife, a blog written by Nichole. I picked my recipe almost immediately - because I love a good story. I decided to make the recipe that launched her down her road towards cooking and foodie blogging: Nichole's Famous Crab Dip. As she tells it...

"The first time I remember cooking something (other than eggs or Ramen), I was 16. My boyfriend at the time mentioned that he wanted crab dip for his birthday. I knew I didn't have enough money for us to eat a full meal at the restaurant with the best crab dip, so I decided I'd make my own. I researched recipes and combined ingredients from three of them together to create what I've come to refer to as Nichole's Famous Crab Dip. Everyone loved the crab dip and it gave me the confidence to start making other recipes."

Hot Crab Dip

adapted from A Cookaholic Wife / Nichole's Famous Crab Dip

1 lb. crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 shallots, diced
8 oz. sour cream
2 T mayonnaise
2 t hot sauce (I used a spicy salsa verde)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t prepared yellow mustard
pinch of black pepper
3 C shredded cheese (I used a mixture of parmesan, asiago, and romano)
3 T Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning
sliced baguette, for dipping

Preheat an oven to 375. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; I used a baking stone instead.

Pick through the crab meat to remove any shells. Season with 1 T of Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, shallots, sour cream, mayo, hot sauce, garlic, mustard, black pepper and the remaining Tony Chachere's. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Blend in 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Gently fold in the crab meat.

Spread a layer of the crab dip into the prepared baking dish, top with 1/3 C of cheese. Repeat for 2 more layers.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot with baguette slices. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, they can be refrigerated for 5 days.

Even though I quickly picked - and made my recipe for this month's reveal - there were several more that intrigued me. I will be trying these soon: California Roll Burgers, Cranberry Risotto in a Mushroom Cup, and Prosciutto Pear Cups.