Name: Harissa Crab and Cheddar Dip
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp EV olive oil; 3 tbsp red onion (minced); 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature); 1/3 cup sour cream; 1/3 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided); 1 tbsp fresh chives (chopped finely); 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice; 1-2 tbsp Entube Harissa paste (to taste, start with 1 tbsp and move up); 1/4 tsp kosher salt; 12 oz cooked lump crab meat (if necessary, replace half of the lump with less expensive canned crab meat); toasted sliced baguette or seed crackers (or even veggies)

This is one of those fantastically retro appetizers that is always welcome on any snack table.

Healthy vs Indulgent Snacking

Sure, all the veggie platters, with those slightly sharp radishes, crunchy carrot sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and the humble, somewhat ignored celery sticks, are good for us. They are the way we try to justify having the artichoke dips, chips and pretzels, chicken wings etc. But who are we kidding?

We don’t just want to see a veggie platter at the table, as that football game or movie is going to start. We got together with friends to have FUN. Veggies are good for you, tasty, and perhaps mildly amusing. But FUN? No, we eat them because we know they are good for us. But we WANT the nachos, the pizza, the dips.

And this kicky Harissa Crab and Cheddar Dip is happy to step up to the plate. When the weather turns cooler, we crave the creamy, warm, even cozy dips to snack on. There’s something so decadent and yet reassuring about these types of snacks. And now with entertaining season coming into full swing, this is the type of appetizer that will work in more formal settings as well as the casual ones.

Childhood Dipping

I remember as a kid, on a Friday or Saturday eve, my parents would put the rippled potato chips into a bowl, and if we were extra good, the sour cream and onion dip was added to the table. Remember that dip? In the small, round brown tub? I think back then, there was even a recipe that called for one package of dried Onion Soup mix added to sour cream and cream cheese or mayo. Or something like that. Everyone loved chips and dip. And we ate it up. So much so that even as I write this, I am nostalgic and slightly desirous of that very dip!! But I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the memories seared into my mind and heart: dad in his Lazy Boy recliner, us girls sitting on the floor near the table where the chip bowl and dip were, and my mom in her spot on the couch, knitting or crocheting away. The movie may have been “The Ghost and Mr Chicken” or “Apple Dumpling Gang” or even “Dr Zhivago” but the special thing was that we were all together, so content. And the treat of that dip.

The Joys of the Crab Dip

While I probably would eat that onion dip today with a certain amount of guilty pleasure, the dip that I go to these days is this crab dip. It has the onions, but so much more. The heat of the Harissa, the tang and ooze of the cheddar cheese, and the glorious crab meat. All wrapped up in a creamy mixture of sour cream, mayo, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Hmmm, a lot of cheese. Oh well. I’m not saying we should eat this every week. But I contend that if we’re sharing this with friends, how much are we really getting? A minuscule amount. To the point that it’s a crime. So make double. Just kidding!!

This makes a good amount: I’d say a good 3- 3 1/2 cups. So its perfect if you have a good crew of friends over. It’s rich, so I will totally understand if you serve it with veggies! (See first paragraph) But it works really well with sliced warm baguette, or seed crackers etc. It calls for almost one pound of lump crab meat. Depending on where you source it, this can run a pretty penny. So feel free to swap out half or two thirds of the lump crab for shredded crab meat which is less expensive. Or just use a canned, you can get lump or chunk crabmeat, as well as shredded crabmeat in tins where you find your cannaed tuna and salmon.

Serve This Dip With:

Naturally sliced bread or baguette works fine. So do crackers of some sort. Grissini or bread sticks are a good option. And to address the elephant in the room, why not serve crudités on the side. To balance it all out. Sliced cucumber, carrot or celery sticks, even red pepper slices are all super options.

Final Thoughts

After writing that this will feed a hungry group of friends and family, you may only want to serve half of it. I’ll be honest, I’ve been known to freeze the other half. Yes, I have, and it thawed just fine. Let it thaw, put it into a baking dish and add fresh shredded cheese on top, and honestly, you would never know that it had been in the freezer. And if you do try this, how grand to know that there is a decadent appetizer ready to go, to make up for the veggie platter that you know someone else is bringing.

For other appetizing appetizers, check out my Tirokafteri, Spicy Feta Dip, Pistachio and Feta Dip, Crispy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, Peri Peri Chicken Wings, Sticky Garlicky Chicken Wings, Chicken Satay Sticks with Satay Sauce

If you make this Harissa Crab and Cheddar Dip, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen.

5 from 1 vote