And the Winner Is… Crabby Snacks!
In case you’re hosting an Oscar party, here’s a throwback post to one of my favorite appetizers!
The Oscar for Outstanding Food in an Academy Award nominated film goes to Crabby Snacks and Homemades, starring in “Silver Linings Playbook.”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” certainly provided some strong competition (the star of the movie is named Hushpuppy, afterall). Messy fresh crabs, fried alligator tail and even (gulp!) cat food had huge scenes.
Another contender: the White Cake that never got served in “Django Unchained.” Of course, “Life of Pi” and “Les Misérables” were most notable for the lack of food.
But back to the winner.
In Matthew Quick’s novel, “The Silver Linings Playbook,” he describes Crabby Snacks as “buttered crabmeat and orange cheese on English Muffins.” Homemades refer to homemade egg pasta.
I thought it would be fun to whip up my version of Crabby Snacks. They’re relatively simple to make. Because they’re made with processed cheese, white bread and mayo, you just know they are going to be absolutely delicious.
This recipe makes 48 bites, so if you aren’t feeding a crowd, cut the recipe in half. And serve it Sunday night during the big broadcast… it’s guaranteed to keep everyone from getting crabby when their Oscar picks don’t win!
Crabby Snacks
prep: 15 minutes
cook: 15 to 20 minutes
makes about 24 servings
you’ll need…
6 English muffins, split in half
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press
8 ounces crabmeat, drained
5 ounces Cheese Spread (Kraft, Merkt’s, Velveeta, Cheez Whiz)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon parsley
2 green onions, chopped
let’s get to it…
Move oven rack to middle of the oven. Line a baking tray with foil; place split muffins cut side up on tray and set aside. Heat oven to 375°F.
Melt butter in a small skillet on medium high. Sauté onion 2 to 3 minutes; add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Stir in crabmeat, cheese spread, mayonnaise and parsley.
Spoon and spread crab mixture evenly on each split muffin. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into quarters. Top with chopped green onions.
cooking know how:
For super-fast Crabby Snacks, in a large bowl, mash and blend together butter, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the rest of the ingredients. Continue as directed.
