I’m always hoping to reel in some quick and easy recipes for the holiday season, so I was hooked by this recipe for miniature crab cakes that are baked, rather than panfried, and that I found in
Christmas with Southern Living’s 2012 edition!
The crab mixture can be made a day in advance, then the bite-size cakes are formed and baked in a mini muffin tin with a crust of Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs!
This is a winner of recipe and one I’ll use again for New Year’s Eve!
Parmesan-Crusted Crab Cake Bites
12 servings. Hands-on time, 18 minutes. Total time, 48 minutes.
6 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, drained (I used Bay Beyond Backfin Lump Crabmeat)
2 (3 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¾ tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I used Cheasapeake Bay seasoning)
½ tsp. lemon zest
1 egg yolk
1 ½ Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 ¼ cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
¼ cup butter, melted
Chive Aioli
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 2 (12-cup) miniature muffin pans. (I used a 24 cup mini muffin pan). Pick crabmeat, removing any bits of shell.
Stir cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and next 6 ingredients, stir until smooth. Fold in crabmeat and parsley.
Combine remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and melted butter in a medium bowl, toss with fork until breadcrumbs are moistened.
Spoon 1 Tbsp. breadcrumb mixture into each muffin cup, press into bottom and up sides to form crust. Spoon 1 Tbsp. crab mixture into each crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool in pans 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges of crab cakes to loosen, gently lift cakes from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with Chive Aioli.
Chive Aioli
Makes ½ cup. Prepare up to a day in advance, cover & chill.
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed.
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover & chill.
A perfect bite for your holiday entertaining!
The winner of my Blue Crab Bay Giveaway is
Kathi Layfield!
Kathi, please email me your mailing address and your Blue Crab Dinnerware will be on its way to you!
Congratulations Kathi and thanks to all who entered!
Oh my, I’ve been working away all night and those look delicious. They might have to get made for Christmas brunch at my brother’s house. We’re down the road from Charlottesville and they just opened a Steinmart. I couldn’t help thinking of you. Merry Christmas.
Your crab bites look amazing Mary! Pretty serving platter too! Congrats to Kathi:@)
Thank you so very much, Mary. I can’t wait to get these dishes, they are just gorgeous. You have made my Christmas even more special! I will definately be making the above recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Crab Cake Bites to be served on these dishes. Thank you again and Happy Holidays. I look forward to even more of your wonderful blog posts in the coming year.
xoxo, Kathi
Congratulations to Kathi! This is Pam, founder of Blue Crab Bay. These crab bites look awesome and my husband is going to make them too! Thanks so much for all of your help this year, Mary. I hope to meet you soon.
Those little crab bites look delicious! How clever…..they don’t look too complicated and they would be such a treat. Congratulations to Kathi!
I love crab cakes. Yours look delish, Mary!
I am so glad my friend sent me to your blog this morning. (I had not been “blogging” in awhile!). This recipe is fabulous! I cannot wait to try it and to share it in one of my cooking classes. It’s a perfect recipe for the DAH mini muffin pans. Thanks for sharing the recipe! (I think this is the first year in about 20, that I did not get the Christmas with Southern Living.)
Jane
This looks like a delicious recipe! And it’s baked! Bonus! I love the serving platter you are displaying too, It always amazes me how all the blogs show such beautiful serving pieces and you never see the same thing. My Motto is “Presentation is Everything” and that is one of the reasons I enjoy Home is Where the Boat Is, your attention to detail. Have a Wonderful Christmas.
hmm looks yummy!
I JUST asked Ramon last night what we should do for New Year’s Eve around here since we’re not going out. We decided to do some fun foods, and crab cakes were at the top of the list. I am SO gonna use this recipe to make it less fattening!!!!! Right on time!!!!!!!!!! Merry Christmas!!!
Congratulations, Cathi! Now this looks like a great appetizer for a Christmas open house. :D Yum!
Congratulations to Kathi for winning this fun dinnerware!
Mary, This recipe is a keeper for sure..thanks for sharing it!
congrats to kathi, of course that makes the rest of us quite crabby…
but at least you provided a recipe!
thanks for the visit, good to hear from you again, in case you are to busy this season i will say merry xmas now, woke up to 20 degrees this morn, my morning beach walk will be beyond brisk :-( another good book for you, bernadette where are you.
keep the home fires burning, ho ho and thanks for all your merriment over the years~
Delightful little crabby bites, Mary! We just had crab cakes last night ;) We love crab meat here!
Oh my, these sound delicious! I will make these for a small appetizer for our Christmas eve celebration. Who doesn’t love crab cakes and I love the idea of bite sized ones. I may do them for New Years eve too!!! Do you get the Christmas issue each year? I have never gotten it. I still haven’t looked at my magazine! I so look forward to all you will have to share with us in the coming year. My sister gets here tomorrow so I amy have VERY limited time on the computer. I want to wish you and your family a most merry and blessed Christmas, mary. XO, Pinky
Ahh, I am wishing my name was Kathi Layfield right now! What a fabulous Christmas surprise for her.
I kept reading the recipe and with each ingredient I was singing, Oh, yum, yum, yum…yum, yum, yum. These sound so wonderful and what a fun and easy recipe compared to pan frying.
Have a very wonderful Christmas dear.
I love anything with crabmeat, so I am definitely saving this recipe. I could go for one now, actually.
Oh my goodness! These look like heaven. I am making appetizers tomorrow…this will be perfect! Thank you!
These look fabulously yummy! Hope I have a chance to try them and soon!!
Lucky, lucky gal that Kathi…..the appetizer looks wonderful..and knowing that it is baked is even more wonderful!
I love crab and I so need appetizer ideas. Pinning it.
Next party I’m bringing these, my boater friends will love them. Thanks for sharing
Must try these! They look delicious – thank you so much for sharing the recipe!!
These look so yummy!! I’ve never Mae crab cakes, but love them, and I think when I finally get up the nerve to try, this will be the one!! Thank you for sharing at On the Menu Monday, and Merry Christmas!!
~April @DimplesAnd Delights
yum! I just want to rip these out of the screen and eat them! they look so yummy! I’d love for you to share at my holiday recipes link party if you have a chance! http://www.dearemmeline.blogspot.com/2012/12/tis-season-of-holiday-leftovers-cheesy.html
I pinned these right away — and I’ll be making them in our empty nest “just for us.” Love your blog!