Tasty Bites: Tammy's Crab Meltaways

By Beth V

Last week, I started a series on Christmas recipes that have become enduring family favorites. This week I’d like to feature a favorite appetizer that is always found  at a family Christmas or New Year’s Eve party. This has been one of my sister, Tammy’s, signature recipes for years. These are bubbly, cheesy, crab-i-ness on a toasty English muffin. They are very easy to make and they are just simply delicious.

Add a softened stick of butter, a couple of spoonfuls of mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon of seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon of garlic salt and a jar of Kraft Old English cheese spread to your mixing bowl and blend well.

What is Kraft Old English cheese, you might ask (as I did)?  It is a sharp cheddar  processed cheese spread that is sold in 5 oz, glass jars and found in the cheese/dairy case at the grocery store. Well, it seems to be the holy grail of cheesiness because I could not find a well-accepted recipe for a substitution. All of the recipes I read that called for this ingredient specifically said you MUST use Old English or it will NOT be the same. So, I decided I better not mess with trying to come up with a less-processed alternative and just stick with what works well for this special occasion treat. If you feel adventurous, this recipe for Port Sharp Cheddar Cheese Spread may work well as a substitute. but I haven’t tried it yet. I think I am going to try it for Christmas this year because my sister Tammy and my other sisters and brother also happen to love Port Wine Cheddar spread on crackers…it reminds us of our childhood Christmases. My dad always purchased a large crock of  Port Wine cheese spread to have with crackers during the holidays. It certainly evokes many fond memories. But, I digress…back to the recipe.

Once this is blended to a creamy consistency, stir in ½ pound lump crab meat. Check the crab meat for shells before adding it. A shell-fragment would be quite an unwelcome interruption to the ooey-gooey deliciousness that is the Crab Meltaway.

Divide six English muffins into their halves and spread them onto a baking sheet. Evenly divide the crab/cheese mixture over each muffin, spreading to cover.  Here comes the real beauty of this recipe. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. If you aren’t planning on serving these right away, they can be placed into freezer bags, once firmly frozen, and kept in the freezer until you are ready to warm them up at your party. These can be whipped up a couple of weeks before Christmas to help relieve  some of the last-minute cooking stress. Or they can be kept in your freezer and taken out and broiled one at a time to be enjoyed as a special treat.

When you are ready to serve these, place the frozen meltaways onto a baking sheet and broil them for about 10 minutes until they are bubbly and start to have just a few brown spots.

Cut each muffin-half into quarters and pile onto a serving tray. These taste best when served warm, they can be broiled a few at a time and replenished as the hot meltaways are eaten.

I hope your family and friends enjoy this delicious appetizer as much as we do!

Tammy’s Crab Meltaways

1 stick butter, softened

1 5-oz jar Kraft Old English spread

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ pound lump crab meat, picked through for shell fragments

6 English muffins, split into halves

1. Combine the first five ingredients and blend with a mixer until well-combined and creamy. Gently stir in the crab meat.

2. Divide the cheese/crab mixture evenly over the 12 muffin halves, spreading to cover. Place baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. If making ahead, transfer the firmly frozen meltaways to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible, and freeze them until ready to bake.

3. When ready to bake, place frozen meltaways on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes or until bubbly and a few brown spots begin to appear. Divide each muffin half into quarters and serve immediately.

Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages 6, 3 and almost 1. She is married to Jason (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, keeping peace among the kids, and whipping out gourmet meals on the side.