My brother came to visit last weekend, and we made it a weekend filled with food from old homes (I'll be posting a Pittsburgh Primanti's sandwich soon!).  Conveniently, I just happened to get crab dip assigned to me in a recipe swap, and what better timing to make the classic Baltimore appetizer than last weekend?  You can get crab dip pretty much anywhere in the Maryland area, and there was one local retaurant that I really loved.  It served the crab dip over a huge, hot, soft pretzel.  Pure heaven.  The restaurant (called Rocky Run) went out of business before I could have a proper goodbye to my beloved appetizer, so it is only a matter of time before I recreate it.  But, for now, we just ate the dip over a sliced baguette (which was also delicious).  Many thanks to Katie from So Tasty, So Yummy for the great recipe!  Yes, I also made her pasta a la vokda recently.  She's a wealth of good food!

Awhile ago I made a low(er) fat crab dip with a different recipe, and enjoyed that, too, so if you happen to want a lighter app while hunkering down for a football game, check that one out here.

Hot Crab Dip

1 pound lump crab meat, cleaned and picked free of shells 1 8 oz. package cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 1 Tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon mustard 1 Tablespoon Old Bay 1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature and soften. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, mustard and Old Bay. Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the mozzarella cheese. Mix well. Gently fold in crab meat by hand until evenly distributed throughout mixture. Be careful not to break apart the meat. Pour mixture into lightly greased gratin dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and parsley. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbling.

Source: So Tasty, So Yummy