Winter seems here to stay, so I’m still cheerfully making comfort food. Here’s an easy, substantial sandwich that will make a cozy lunch or dinner. These originally started out as an appetizer recipe from, oh, fifteen years ago, but I’ve updated it over time to make it meal-strength. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
12 ounces decent white crab meat, picked over for shells – use what you can afford. This is a cheesy sandwich melt, so the crab will be friends with some other strong flavors. Maybe don’t drop a ton of money on the finest lump, is what I’m saying.
1 5-ounce jar of Kraft Old English cheese spread
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup butter, softened
½ teaspoon horseradish
Dash of Tabasco
8 English muffin halves, toasted. (So, four English muffins, split.)
8 slices mozzarella cheese
8 slices tomato*
8 slices avocado*
8 strips of bacon, cooked, cut in half
2 scallions, chopped
* Optional: I usually use one or the other.
How to Make Them:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a medium bowl, gently combine the crab, cheese spread, mayonnaise, garlic powder, butter, horseradish, and Tabasco.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease it well, and set your toasted English muffin rounds onto it. To each round, add a slice of cheese, two pieces of bacon (the two halves of one strip), and slice of avocado or tomato.
Next, spoon the crab mixture over the top of each round. Carefully avoid your mini-Schnauzer who has parked herself predatorily in the center of the kitchen, waiting for food to fall from the sky.
Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and everything is heated through. Make sure your bottom slice of cheese is melty! Garnish with chopped scallion.
In the winter, crabby melts go great with fries and sautéed greens like spinach or chard, or steamed veggies. In the summer, they’re lovely with a crisp salad.
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