Crab and Cheese Fondue Dip

by Marie

Crab is one on my family's favorite sea foods. This fondue, or warm dip (you don't need a fondue pot or those forks -- you can make it in a crock pot, or even a double boiler) would make a healthy snack. It has a lot of protein from the crab, plus cheese. We dip in chunks of a good, crusty whole grain bread. But you can dip in crackers as well, or vegetables. My elderly grandmother loves this! So for your readers it would make a very nice snack for elderly nutrition.

If you happen to live in an area where you can get crab fresh, with leftovers, this will be great! For the rest of us, there's canned crab. And that is great too! I've had this recipe for about 35 years now, and have made it over and over. Real popular for parties and watching the game, or to bring over to someone's house when visiting. It's really easy too.

Originally, I made it the old way with a jar of Cheese Whiz and a stick of butter! Now I eat healthier, so I use cut up chunks of real cheese. Low fat is best if you want to get really healthy. I find a combination of cheddar and jack is very good. Putting in a little real Parmesan cheese is also good. But you can use just about anything. The amount you want to use will vary with how many people you're serving.

1 can crab of meat
1 jar of Cheese Whiz, or else 2 to 3 cups of cheese chunks
About 3 Tablespoons of butter
You can also add in a Tablespoon or so of milk, if you think it needs to be thinner.
Other seasonings, if you want them

This is one of those recipes that you can adjust a little as you make it.

I rinse the crab meat in a strainer to remove some of the sodium. You can also use lower sodium cheeses for this. Then just melt it all together slowly in a crock pot (or whatever you're using). Stir it very well. Some people like to add in other favorite seasonings. I know someone who is nuts for pepper, and adds different kinds of pepper to her cooking. Another has added a little ground mustard. Or a pinch of garlic. It all depends on what you like.

When it's all melted and mixes, turn it to low to keep it warm. Then just dip in whatever you want.