Crab dip is an amazing thing. It's a luxury food we wouldn't eat every day. Ours was not easy to come by, however. Being Marylanders, crab is a great family love. A crab dip seemed like a great addition to Christmas. We first tried to do crab dip at my mom's house during the Christmas of 2001. The original recipe was called Blitzen's Crab Dip. I think we picked it more for the name than anything else. Sadly, it was overly heavy and not very flavorful. It began a great quest, however, that culminated in our own recipe, cleverly called Comet's Crab Dip. As my mom has become lactose intolerant in the intervening years, I include the original and the lactose-free versions for your enjoyment.

Traditional Comet's Crab Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 T milk (skim is fine)
8 oz flaked crab meat (buy refrigerated 16 oz cans of crab meat, not tuna size cans off the shelf. It costs about $9 in Ann Arbor, but is worth it and you have an extra half pound for another purpose. Crab quesadilla recipe coming your way!)
1 small onion, minced (or run through a food processor)
3 t prepared horseradish
1T Old Bay+ more for garnish
Juice from 1/2 lemon + more to taste
1/4 t salt
10 grinds fresh pepper
Crackers (or French bread rounds)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place cream cheese in an oven safe serving dish. Heat for 20 seconds on high in the microwave to soften. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste for horseradish, lemon, salt, and Old Bay. Sprinkle with Old Bay to garnish (minced parsley is also pretty).

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on crackers.

Lactose-Free Comet's Crab Dip (incredibly good, only a bit thinner than the original)

8 oz. spreadable goat cheese or goat cheese cream cheese
8 oz flaked crab meat (see above note)
1 small onion, minced (or run through a food processor)
3 t prepared horseradish
1T Old Bay+ more for garnish
Juice from 1/2 lemon + more to taste
10 grinds fresh pepper
Crackers (or French bread rounds)

Preheat oven to 375.

Place cream cheese in an oven safe serving dish. Heat for 20 seconds on high in the microwave to soften. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Taste for horseradish, lemon, salt (usually doesn't need any as the goat cheese is saltier than regular cream cheese), and Old Bay. Sprinkle with Old Bay to garnish (minced parsley is also pretty). You may add 1 T Lactaid milk if you'd like it to be thinner.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve on crackers.