Oh, yes! This is the good stuff! This is seafood at its most scrumptious! It’s a Hot Crab Tot Dish, after all. The filling is creamy and savory, with plenty of juicy crab meat mixed throughout bringing notes of tanginess, spice, and lemon brightness. A blanket of crispy, fluffy-on-the-inside tater tots are just waiting to help scoop up all that oceanic deliciousness! With a refreshing salad at its side, Hot Crab Tot Dish can’t be stopped!
Ingredients
- 3 cups frozen potato tots
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bayâ„¢ seasoning, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained and picked over
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –Arrange the tots in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Step 3 –Bake the tots until crisp, about 20 minutes.
Step 4 –Transfer the tots to a medium bowl and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the Old Bay seasoning. Do not turn the oven off.
Step 5 –While the tots bake, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Step 6 –Add the shallots and the celery to the butter and cook, stirring often, until they are softened, about 5-6 minutes.
Step 7 –Add the vermouth to the veggie mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it has mostly evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Step 8 –Transfer the veggie mixture from the heat.
Step 9 –Stir the cream cheese, the chives, the mayonnaise, the sour cream, the hot sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, the lemon zest, and the remaining Old Bay seasoning together in a large bowl.
Step 10 –Fold the crab meat and the celery mixture into the mayo mixture.
Step 11 –Spread the mixture into a 1-quart gratin baking dish.
Step 12 –Top the crab filling with the tots.
Step 13 –Bake until the crab mixture bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.
Step 14 –Let the bake cool for 5 minutes.
Step 15 –Serve.
