Crab Cake Appetizer

This is a very flavorful mini crab cake appetizer, sure to please.

Let’s have a party!  I’m always looking for a killer app…no… not for my phone.  This crab cake appetizer recipe is delicious, as well as killer.  It’s full of crab meat with creamy parmesan cheese and fresh chives.  It bakes up perfectly to give you bite-sized mouthfuls of flavor!  And the recipe makes 24 pieces of party pleasing goodness. And look….the recipe got featured in Southern Living magazine, Savory Crab Recipes for your next Party.

It’s also an appetizer that can be baked ahead of time and re-heated just before serving…10 or so minutes in a 350° oven should do it.  The panko crumbs become nice and crispy leading to a mouthful of creamy crab meat.

MaryJo and I actually had these for supper tonight with a nice salad.  I cook it…I get to eat it!  A simple remoulade sauce was made to have with the crab cake appetizer, made with mayo, a teaspoon full of chopped capers and a bunch of Cholula hot sauce.   Dip and eat..dip and eat.

Pre-cooked pasteurized crab meat is what I used, because in Minnesota, it’s hard to find fresh crab.  If you have fresh crab, it would be so much more flavorful, but the pasteurized stuff isn’t too bad.  While it was baking, you could smell the sweetness of the crab, which is something that can make your neighbors drool.

This is really easy to make and you’ve got to try it for your next get together.

Crab Cake Appetizer

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 24 crab cakes

Author: Joe, adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound crab meat--pasteurized , canned or fresh--picked of shells
• 8 oz . cream cheese at room temperature
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , divided, 1/4 and 1/2
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 tbsp chopped chives , divided 1 tbsp and 2 tbsp
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/8 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 4 tbsp butter , melted
• fresh chopped chives for garnish

Instructions

• Place softened cream cheese in a medium bowl and use a mixer to blend until smooth
• Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, egg, sour cream, lemon zest, 1 tbsp chives, salt and cayenne pepper and mix together.
• Add crab meat and fold in with a rubber spatula
• Cover and refrigerate until used.
• Pre-heat oven to 350°
• Combine Panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp chopped chives in a medium sized bowl.
• Drizzle the melted butter into the mix, use a fork to coat all of the panko
• Spray a 24 or 2, 12 cup mini muffin pans with cooking oil
• Place about 2 tsp of the bread crumb mixture into each cup, and use your index finger to form an indent.
• Then, fill the cup with about 1 tbsp of the crab meat mixture. You should make exactly 24 cakes
• Top that with 1 tsp of the panko bread crumbs
• Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally for even browning
• Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Use a small fork or knife to remove the crab cakes from the pan