Crabbies

Crabbies are a Cecil family recipe and a holiday staple. Growing up, it wasn’t a party unless a plate of piping hot crabbies got passed. On an OOC level, they are part of a cooking trend from the 50s-60s that focussed heavily on processed foods. Unlike bologna cake and hotdog aspic, this recipe as stood the test of time. It’s a good recipe for playing, so feel free to mix it up with a different cheese spread, a novel base, or anything else your whimsy desires.

Ingredients

  • 2x 6 oz. canned crab meat (usually 4.25 oz. drained weight, each), drained

  • ½ cup softened butter

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  • 5 oz. jar Kraft Old English Spread

    • Alternatively, use 5 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, orange if possible

  • 6 English muffins, split


Materials

  • Mixing bowl

  • Mixing spoon or rubber spatula

  • Cookie sheet

  • 1-gallon freezer bag

Directions

A day or more ahead of time:

  1. Mix all ingredients except the English muffins

  2. Spread evenly on the English muffin halves

  3. Freeze in a single layer - using a cookie sheet or plates is helpful for this

  4. Store frozen crabbie rounds in the freezer bag until needed

When you want some tasty crabbies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425

  2. Cut each frozen crabbie rounds into 6 wedges

  3. Bake frozen wedges on a cookie sheet until bubbly and lightly browned, usually 10-12 minutes


Notes from Cecil

  • Kraft Old English Spread is a highly processed cheese product that is becoming increasingly hard to find. It is often dairy-adjacent in the grocery store because it does not require refrigeration, like Velveeta.

  • You can use real cheese in this recipe. Choose a bag of pre-shredded sharp cheddar. You want pre-shredded cheese because the starches they use to stop the shreds from binding will help emulsify the melted final product. Choose orange cheese just to give your crabbies a bit of color.

  • Get the cheapest canned crab meat you can find. It’s usually called “Pink Crab Meat”. This is not a recipe that benefits from more expensive crab. The nicer canned lump crab meat can change the texture of the dish in a way that not everyone enjoys.

  • If you are not really into crab, just use 1 can. The end product will still be ooey-gooey goodness.

  • You can make this dish and bake it right away, but freezing it gives you an appetizer you can pull out and bake any time with almost no effort. I was going to point out that means you can save some of your Black & White crabbies for later, but Lady Lindsay (my OOC wife and fellow Feastocrat) pointed out to me that Realmsies have never failed at finishing every crabbie that comes out of our kitchen, no matter how many we make. You should take that as a challenge.