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    Grits and Pinecones » Recipes » Appetizers

    Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip Recipe

    January 18, 2016 by Sharon Rigsby, Updated May 17, 2020 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Crab Mornay is a great make-ahead Christmas or Holiday appetizer!

    This fabulous and Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip is a flavorful appetizer and perfect for holiday parties or anytime you are entertaining and want to serve your family or guests something special!

    Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip being scooped up to savor

    Crab Mornay is pure creamy deliciousness with chunks of briny crabmeat and a hint of sherry and is wonderful served in a chafing dish with toasted baguette slices or toast points. You can’t get much more decadent than this, or find a holiday appetizer that will be any more popular or any easier to prepare. Crab Mornay is also a perfect make-ahead appetizer. Make the filling the day before, and then just heat it up when it’s time to serve.

    Crab Mornay also makes an elegant entree when served in flaky puff pastry shells.

    This scrumptious recipe was developed by the mother of a longtime friend of mine (Carolyn) and she prepared it often for her family. It was also featured in the Thymes Remembered Cookbook, published by The Junior League of Tallahassee. Carolyn also has a blog with many delicious recipes: A Southerner’s Notebook.

    Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip ingredients include butter, scallions, parsley, flour, half and half, Swiss Cheese, sherry, ground red pepper, and fresh claw or lump crabmeat. If you are preparing the Crab Mornay as an entree, you will also need frozen puff pastry shells.

    Easy Creamy Crab Mornay ingredients

    To begin, melt butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan and saute the scallions and parsley over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

    Sautéing scallions for Easy Creamy Crab Mornay

    Add flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then, add the half and half and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

    Add sherry, and red pepper according to your taste, and gently fold in the crabmeat, taking care not to break up the lumps. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate the crab mixture until you are ready to serve. Reheat over low heat and serve.)  

    Combining all of the ingredients for Easy Creamy Crab Mornay

    To serve as an appetizer, place the hot crab mixture in a chafing dish, garnish with chopped parsley or minced scallion greens, and serve with toast points or toasted baguette slices.

    To serve as an entree, fill baked puff pastry shells with the hot crab mixture and garnish with chopped parsley or minced scallion greens.

    Serving Easy Creamy Crab Mornay in puff pastry shells as an entree

    Related recipes:

    If you are looking for more appetizer recipes, consider my Redneck Caviar Dip. Not only is it delicious, but it is healthy too and full of vegetables. 

    If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating it and leaving a comment below. Also, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. And finally, to be the first to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box. Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

    Dipping a toasted baguette slice into Easy Crab Mornay Dip

    Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip Recipe

    Sharon Rigsby
    This fabulous and Easy Creamy Crab Mornay Dip is a flavorful appetizer and perfect for holiday parties or anytime you are entertaining and want to serve your family and guests something special!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Dish
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 12 appetizer servings
    Calories 230 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup butter
    • 4 scallions white parts only, minced
    • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
    • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 1 pint half and half
    • 8 oz Swiss cheese shredded
    • 1 tablespoon Sherry
    • ¼-1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
    • 1 lb fresh claw or lump crabmeat

    Instructions
     

    • Melt butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat and saute scallions and parsley for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add flour, whisk and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add half and half and cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted.
    • Add sherry, red pepper to taste, and gently fold in the crabmeat, taking care not to break up the lumps. Heat for a few minutes until the mixture is thoroughly heated.*
    • Serve immediately or place in a chafing dish to keep warm. Garnish with chopped parsley or minced scallion greens.
    • If serving as an entree, purchase frozen puff pastry shells and prepare according to the directions on the package. Add the crab mixture to the baked shells serve warm.

    Notes

    *If making ahead, at this point cover and refrigerate the crab mornay.  When ready to serve, reheat over low heat and serve warm.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 230kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 13gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 438mgPotassium: 167mgVitamin A: 810IUVitamin C: 7.1mgCalcium: 217mgIron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!

     

    This fabulous and rich Crab Mornay makes a wonderful Christmas party appetizer or an easy cocktail party finger food.www.gritsandpinecones.com

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Angelle

      September 03, 2022 at 6:54 pm

      My mother also makes this dish (it’s a favorite!). She puts it in individual ramekins, tops with seasoned breadcrumbs and bakes in oven until golden. I like the puff pastry idea, especially for a dinner party—how many shells would this recipe fill?

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        September 04, 2022 at 8:35 pm

        Hi Angelie, I like your Mom’s serving idea; thanks so much for sharing.
        I would think you could probably fill six puff pastry shells, which of course depends on how how much the shells you purchase hold. It has been a while since the last time I used them, the package held four shells, and I had some of the dip left over. But I don’t remember how much. If you are planning to serve them at a dinner party, I would test it first to confirm because the size of the shells do vary by brand.
        I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the recipe.
        All the best,
        Sharon

        Reply
        • Angelle

          December 24, 2022 at 11:41 pm

          5 stars
          Thanks. Made it tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. Loved it in the puff pastry shells!

    2. Amelia

      February 10, 2018 at 3:00 pm

      This dish tastes fantastic! However, every time I make it, the butter starts to separate and pool on top of the finished dish. Any suggestions? What am I doing wrong? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        February 11, 2018 at 9:05 am

        Hi Amelia,
        I’m so glad you enjoy this dish but sorry you are having a problem with the butter. I have made this dish many times and have never seen it do that, so I turned to my friend Carolyn, who I originally gave me the recipe. Carolyn said it had never happened to her either and the only thing she could think of was that the butter might be getting too hot when you saute the scallions and separating. She suggested turning the heat down a bit to see if this helps. I’m so sorry we couldn’t come up with a better solution, but next time you make it try lowering the heat and let me know if this works for you!
        All my best,
        Sharon

        Reply
    3. Jenna

      December 08, 2016 at 10:04 am

      MMMM this sounds so good! I love anything with crab and this would be perfect on Christmas Eve.

      Reply
    4. Carolyn

      January 18, 2016 at 10:36 am

      I am assuming that you got this recipe from our League cookbook? Interestingly enough this was a recipe of my mothers that I submitted and she prepared many many times. It can also be served on a buffet table in a chafing dish which is how my mother most often served it. When the League wanted to print this recipe they wanted to update it thus placing it in the puff pastry.

      Reply
      • Gritsandpinecones

        January 18, 2016 at 11:10 am

        Carolyn, thanks so much for letting me know! I’m updating it to mention it originally came from your Mom, and noting that it’s adapted from the Junior League Cookbook!

        Reply

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    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, recipe developer, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have well over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and there is nothing I like better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

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