This post was sponsored by Heluva Good!® Cheese as part of an Influence Central campaign and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
There are a few things in this world that I deem to be truly swoon worthy.
Lemon gelato. The way my son’s eyes squinch when he’s smiling. These nachos (a serious “last meal” situation going on right there). Sam Heughan. The perfect slice of gooey pizza. Every single episode of This Is Us. Dog snuggles. And anything involving jumbo lump crab meat.
Yup. I am a complete sucker for crab. I’ll take it in any form I can get it. In crab cakes. In soup. As crab cocktail. In pasta. On crostini. With breakfast. In salad. In summer rolls. And now, when smothered with gooey Heluva Good!® Block Cheese and spiced with some of my favorite Asian flavors. Oh yesssss. This cheesy crab rangoon dip is freaking heaven on EARTH, people. And it’s definitely swoon worthy.
I have been a fan of Heluva Good cheese for years now. It’s one of my go-to brands for delicious cheese. While my absolute favorite way to enjoy cheese (especially extra sharp cheddar) is with Triscuit crackers and a Diet Coke, I love coming up with more fun (and let’s face it: more interesting) ways of eating said cheese. Heluva Good cheese makes entertaining and everyday snacking a breeze. They have an amazing assortment of cheeses, all delivering mouthwatering flavor that works with any and all occasions. Whether I’m working with the white extra sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or even the spicy Pepper Jack, I know the end result will always be fabulous.
When I was presented with the opportunity to work with the Heluva Good brand, I was beyond thrilled. I packed Kieran up and we headed off to our local Wal-Mart store to stock up on the delicious product. As you can tell, we were BOTH pretty excited. He’s literally saying “CHEEEEESE!” in every sense of the word in that picture. He definitely gets that enthusiasm for cheese from me. It’s basically a food group in our house.
The selection at Wal-Mart was fantastic. I was able to quickly and easily pick out the cheeses I wanted, and I felt so inspired upon leaving the store. The recipe development wheels were already turning!
(By the way, if you’re looking for some cheesy [in a good way!] inspiration, you can find Heluva Good cheese at your neighborhood supermarkets if you live in the following areas: New York [New York, Syracuse, Buffalo/Rochester, Albany], Pennsylvania [Pittsburgh, Harrisburg/Scranton, Philadelphia], Connecticut [Hartford], Massachusetts [Springfield, Boston], Ohio [Cleveland, Columbus], Rhode Island [Providence], Florida [Tampa/St. Petersburg, Orlando], Virginia [Roanoke], Maryland [Baltimore], and Washington D.C. Bonus: here’s a coupon to use at your local Wal-Mart store on Heluva Good cheese products [limited quantities are available]! So awesome.)
I can feel good about serving Heluva Good cheese products to my family because they are gluten free, made with real milk, have 0 grams of trans fat per serving, and are fantastic sources of protein and calcium. When a lot our snacking revolves around cheese, this makes me feel good.
Speaking of good…let’s get into this dip, shall we?
I don’t think I know anyone who has turned down hot crab dip. I’m seriously racking my brain, trying to think of a time that someone didn’t happily dive right into the magical concoction. What’s not to like? Creamy, cheesy, and CRABBY. Gah. I love the stuff.
Today’s recipe is my twist on the classic hot crab dip. I’ve spiced things up a bit with Asian flavors and added to the heavenly gooey factor by using Heluva Good Colby Jack cheese in the recipe. I don’t think I’ll ever make a different version of hot crab dip ever again. That’s how insanely delicious this one came out.
I went with the Colby Jack variety because it melts beautifully and lends a creamy, cheesy factor without being overly assertive. Sharp cheddar, for instance, might completely overpower the delicate flavors of the crab. The Colby Jack added juuuust the right amount of cheesiness and still allowed the crab to shine through.
I also added in some Asian flavors because I think they work wonderfully with crab. There is a restaurant near us that does these crispy fried crab wontons (aka, crab rangoons – hence the name for this dip!), and I ADORE them. They sort of inspired the Asian theme for today’s recipe.
Soy sauce and sesame oil are easily two of my favorite and most used pantry ingredients, and they do a wonderful job again here today. I mixed them with cream cheese (um, yum!), garlic, lemon, a little hot sauce, and loads of scallions. The cheese and crab went in last and were definitely the stars of the show. As it should be.
This dip is best served warm or even hot out of the oven, but you could easily assemble this ahead and keep it cold until you’re ready to bake it off, which makes it perfect for parties! I like to serve it with tons of fun crunchy dippers. My favorite here were the pita chips. They worked perfectly for scooping up the creamy, dreamy dip and getting it into my mouth as fast as possible.
Which is really what it’s all about, after all!
I think this dip makes the cut onto my list of swoon worthy things. For sure.
Cheesy Crab Rangoon Dip
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2–3 teaspoons hot sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1½ cups Heluva Good Colby Jack cheese, shredded
- 10 oz jumbo lump crab meat
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- Pita chips, crackers, toasted baguette, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 2-qt baking/casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, sour cream/yogurt, lemon juice and zest, grated garlic, soy sauce, hot sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Season the mixture with a little salt and pepper, taste, and then adjust as necessary.
- Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese. Gently fold in the crab meat and half of the scallions and mix until just combined – you don’t want to break up the crab meat too much.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dip is gooey and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve the dip warm with desired dippers.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
[…] Yes to Yolks […]