Crab dip

Fresh, frozen or canned crab meat may be used in the preparation of crab dip.[4][5][9] Different types of crab meat may be used, such as jumbo lump,[6][7] lump[4] backfin,[5] leg[10] and claw, among others. Various types of crab species and superfamilies are also used, such as blue crab,[2][11] Dungeness crab[8] and Alaska king crab,[10] among others.

Some versions may use mayonnaise, other types of cheese, such as pepper jack cheese, brie cheese or Cheddar cheese instead of cream cheese as primary ingredients.[10][12][13][14][15] Some may incorporate other seafoods in addition to crab, such as imitation crab,[13] lobster,[16] shrimp[17] and surimi.[18] Additional ingredients may include mushrooms, artichoke, onion, green onion, shallot, green pepper, bread crumbs (such as panko),[2] heavy cream and others.[9][10][12] Bread crumbs may be used to top the dish, which may be browned during the cooking process creating a crust.[2] Sometimes Parmesan cheese is combined with the bread crumbs.[6] Some versions use Old Bay Seasoning as an ingredient to add flavor, and some are prepared spicy with the addition of ingredients such as hot sauce and red pepper.[19][20]

• Crab dips
• 
  Warm crab dip with cheddar cheese
• 
  Warm crab and lobster dip served with bread
• 
  Close-up view of the same crab and lobster dip
• 
  Close-up of crab dip, with a crab atop

Some U.S. restaurants offer crab dip on their menus.[21] Commercially mass-produced crab dips are also manufactured.[22] Crab dip can be prepared in advance, refrigerated, and cooked at a later time.[10] It may be served in bread that has been hollowed-out, such as a sourdough loaf.[15] Crab dip may be served with crackers, flatbread, pita bread, bread, crostino, pretzels and sliced vegetables, among other accompaniments.[1][7][10]

• 
  Crab dip being baked in a toaster oven
• 
  Crab dip served with vegetables

The Nationals Park baseball park in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C., the home ballpark for the Washington Nationals, offers a sandwich prepared with a half-smoke, Maryland crab dip and Virginia ham called "The DMV" as part of its concessions.[23] It was reported in August 2014 that Byrd Stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland planned to offer a large 1.5 pound soft pretzel baked with crab dip and melted cheese that serves four people as part of its concessions.[24] Byrd Stadium also offers other foods prepared with crab, such as nachos and "crab fries".[24]

• Clam dip
• List of crab dishes
• List of dips
• List of hors d'oeuvre

• Media related to Crab dip at Wikimedia Commons