Cheesy party appetizer favorite (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Creamy Base

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 1/2 cup sour cream
03 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise

→ Flavoring Ingredients

04 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
05 - 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onion, divided, plus more for garnish
06 - 2 garlic cloves, pressed or grated
07 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
08 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce (Cholula recommended)
09 - 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

→ Star Ingredient

10 - 12-16 oz lump crab meat, preferably fresh from cooked king crab legs, patted dry

→ For Serving

11 - Tortilla chips, mini toasts, cucumber slices, pita chips or crackers

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 1½ to 2-quart casserole dish to prevent sticking and set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Use an electric mixer to beat everything together until completely smooth and well-blended.
03 - To the cream cheese mixture, add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella (reserving the other ½ cup for topping), most of the chopped chives or green onions (save some for garnish), pressed garlic, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir everything together until well combined.
04 - Gently fold the crab meat into the mixture, being careful not to break up the lumps too much. You want to preserve those delicious chunks of crab throughout the dip.
05 - Spread the crab mixture evenly into your prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
06 - Bake the dip uncovered at 400°F for about 25 minutes, or until it's hot throughout, bubbling around the edges, and lightly browned on top. For more color, you can broil for about 1 minute at the end, watching carefully to prevent burning.
07 - Sprinkle the dip with the remaining green onions or chives. Serve hot with your choice of tortilla chips, mini toasts, cucumber slices, pita chips, or your favorite crackers for dipping.

# Notes:

01 - You can assemble this dip up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate, covered. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
02 - Fresh crab meat from king crab legs offers the best flavor and texture, but refrigerated lump crab meat works well too.
03 - Pat the crab meat dry with paper towels to prevent the dip from becoming watery.
04 - Adjust the hot sauce to your preference - 2 teaspoons gives a mild kick.

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