This Cheesy Crab French Bread Appetizer takes bubbly, melty and tantalizing to a whole new level!
Half my lifetime ago I spent many a day roaming the halls of a local school which offered Adult & Continuing Ed. courses. Classes ranged from health & technology to personal enrichment and everything in between. I tried my hand at a number of things, from knitting & crocheting to card stamping and pottery, but it was the cooking classes that provided me the greatest benefits. (Case in point: the furthest I’ve ever gotten with a crochet hook and skein of yarn is one very long braid…)
On more than one occasion I took classes that focused on Christmas dinner & entertaining – which brings us to today’s scrumptious dish.
Whether it’s a summertime seafood craving or something luscious for the holidays, Cheesy Crab French Bread always fits the bill! It’s a melt-in-your-mouth kind of experience.
We’ll sometimes have it for dinner with a side salad or fresh fruit, or we’ll slice it into smaller-sized portions for an appetizer course. This is typically one of the first things to go; although my Mini Baked Chicken Meatballs with Peperonata, Mozzarella-Filled Cherry Tomatoes with Balsamic Glaze and Arancini tend to make folks happy too! 😉
Pulling this appetizer together is a breeze!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups crab meat (I used Imitation for today’s recipe)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
Once you’ve combined the topping ingredients, simply spread the Swiss cheese covered bread with the seafood mixture, pop it into the oven for about 30 minutes, then when it’s warmed through and the cheese is melted, remove from the oven, slice, and enjoy!
-
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Set aside.
- Cut bread in half, lengthwise.
- Place bread on a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the bread.
- Cover the cheese with the crab mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cut each half in to appetizer-sized pieces.
- Top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Always a favorite with holiday guests, this Cheesy Crab French Bread Appetizer is sure to get the party started!
Buon Appetito!
Print
Cheesy Crab French Bread Appetizer
- Category: Appetizer
Description
This Cheesy Crab French Bread Appetizer takes bubbly, melty and tantalizing to a whole new level!
Ingredients
- 2 cups crab meat (I used Imitation for today’s recipe)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine first 8 ingredients. Set aside.
- Cut bread in half, lengthwise.
- Place bread on a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the bread.
- Cover the cheese with the crab mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cut each half in to appetizer-sized pieces. Top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
We always make a crab dip on Christmas Eve, so this appetizer would be a nice way to change things up while not straying too far from the crab themed appetizer! Looks and sounds delicious!
Easy transition….just throw that dip on a baguette covered in Swiss! Done and delish! Thank you, my friend! 🙂
Hi Annie! Your Cheesy Crab French Bread Appetizer looks so delicious! It is so perfect for holiday parties. I would definitely make a beeline straight to this if it was being served at a get-together!! Great photos too! 🙂
Hi Alia! These are pretty hard to resist! I’d be standing right there with you!! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words, my friend! Happy holidays!
When I was in high school my mom signed me up for a cake decorating class through the park and recs dept. I had such a blast! I still love making and decorating my own cakes for birthdays. This appetizer looks so perfect for the holidays – or really any time of the year! Love it!
That would be so fun! One I haven’t tried…yet! Thanks, Kathy!!
Your knitting skills still far outweigh mine 😉 I took up crocheting once upon a time, but I would need a full tutorial to pick it up again! I love how easy this elegant appetizer is to whip up – perfect for a holiday party!
I need more than that! 😉 🙂 Thanks, friend!
Perfect party fare, Annie! These look absolutely mouthwatering!
Perfect for all the parties!! Thanks, friend!
Cooking classes sound so fun. I’ve never taken one! My only continuing education class was sewing with my hubby, and I just had a bunch of scraps after six weeks, while he made an entire dress shirt. This crab appetizer looks so delicious! I want to try it. 🙂
Hahah! I love that he made a dress shirt! I think you’ll really like this, Andrea! 🙂
Any kind of cooking class is the best! But I’m probably biased, since I love food as much as you! 😉 This cheesy crab bread is seriously calling my name, Annie! It looks JUST PERFECT! I could eat this for dinner to be honest! Gimme gimme! Pinned! Cheers, doll! xo
Always an exciting adventure! This makes for a great dinner, too! With a nice glass of white…good stuff! Thanks, pal! XO
These look so delicious and festive. I wonder if all your relatives secretly conspire to celebrate the holidays at your house every year:)
Heheheheh! We do have fun!! Thanks, friend! 🙂
Sounds delicious Annie! Not only perfect for the holidays, but for all year long. This would be a total hit at our house!
It’s a great recipe to have in our back pocket! Thanks, friend!!
Crab is such a treat this time of year! I’m loving these with the cheese and bread. My two favourite words 😉
Hahaha! Isn’t that funny – they’re two of my favorite words, too! 🙂
I’m swooning over here. I loooove crab. And of course cheese and I are old friends. Pile them both on a hunk of bread and this is pretty much all I ever want to eat!
If you love these flavors you deserve this treat! It’s so easyyyyy! 🙂
My mother tried to show me how to knit years ago and I could not pick it up. I think I was too clumsy with the needles….either that or too impatient. Who knows. Cooking, though, I love it! Nothing like getting in the kitchen and totally focusing on the task at hand (and having a little nibble here and there….hehehe). I love imitation crab and would eat often years ago. Haven’t had it in a while so this is a perfect excuse to dig in! And you know me and little appetizers – my favourite things, especially with some vino on Friday night! Absolutely delish, my friend! Have a wonderful weekend! XOXO
I still have the dream that I’ll one day knit myself a gorgeous sweater and matching mittens! hahaha! So happy you like this! I’ve made it with both crab legs and imitation and truthfully – I like the imitation better! Have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XOXO