Crabbies
Crabbies are yummy open faced seafood sandwiches you can serve as an appetizer or the main meal. These savory bites feature a mixture of crab meat and old English cheese spread onto a buttery English muffin.
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Nothing gets my family excited quite like seafood.
Being that it’s expensive, it’s definitely a treat for us.
But these crabbies really stretch your crab meat and create a delicious cheesy situation that’s so worth it.
What are crabbies?
Crabbies, sometimes called crab melt-aways, are delicious open faced sandwich bites that make a fantastic appetizer.
A lot of people serve them for the holidays, but we like to serve them anytime!
Ingredients
To make these, you’ll need:
- English muffins– Halved
- Crab meat– A 6 ounce can of white crab meat drained very well or fresh crab meat if you prefer
- Old English cheese spread– The kind by Kraft- our grocery store keeps it near the Velveeta and grated Parmesan cheeses.
- Mayonnaise– Real full fat mayonnaise and not mayonnaise style dressing
- Seasoning– Garlic powder and seasoned salt
- Butter– Softened
How to Make
Crabbies are delightfully easy to make!
Just add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whip them together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
Then, spread the mixture evenly out over the halved English muffins. really getting it into the nooks and crannies.
Put the crab spread muffins on a baking dish and freeze them for 2 hours, keeping the dish flat.
Set your oven on broil, and transfer the baking dish to the hot oven.
Broil the crabbies for 4-5 minutes, watching them, just until the muffins are toasted and the crab spread is melted and golden brown on top.
Serve whole, or quarter to serve them bite sized.
Enjoy!
Dipping Ideas
Want to serve with a dip?
Delicious options include:
- lemon aioli
- cocktail sauce
- hot sauce
- pepper relish
- tartar sauce
Can I air fry these instead?
Yes!
To make crabbies in your air fryer, follow the steps above but instead of broiling them, cook them at 400F for 8-9 minutes in your air fryer.
Can I freeze crabbies?
Yes!
You can store them in a ziplocking bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I recommend flash freezing them for 30 minutes on a baking sheet before adding them to the bag and long term freezer storage.
This will ensure the cheesy crab topping stays in place on all the muffins.
Just broil when ready!
Tips and Tricks
- You can sub fresh crab meat or canned baby shrimp, if preferred.
- For a Southern touch, use spicy (or regular) Pimento cheese in place of the old English cheese spread.
- If serving a crowd, cut each crispy crabbie into quarters before serving.
- You can add a dash of Old Bay seasoning to the mixture for some extra zip! You can also sprinkle it on after it’s baked.
Other Crab Recipes
Crabbies are a delicious treat we love!
Make them for your next gathering and enjoy!
Looking for other crab recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this CRABBIES RECIPE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Crabbies (Crab Melt-Aways)
Ingredients
- 6 English muffins halved
- 1 6 oz can white crab meat drained well, you want the meat DRY
- 1 5 oz jar Kraft Old English cheese spread
- 2 tsp mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp seasoned salt
- 1 stick butter softened
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip them together until smooth and creamy.
- Spread the mixture evenly out over the halved English muffins. Make sure to get it into the nooks and crannies.
- Transfer the prepared crab spread muffins to a baking dish. Lay the baking dish flat in the freezer, and freeze the crabbies for 2 hours.
- Set your oven on broil, and transfer the baking dish to the hot oven. Broil for 4-5 minutes, watching them, just until the muffins are toasted and the crab spread is melted and golden brown on top.
- Serve whole, or quarter to serve them bite sized. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can sub fresh crab meat or canned baby shrimp, if preferred.
- For a Southern touch, use spicy (or regular) Pimento cheese in place of the old English cheese spread.
- If serving a crowd, cut each crispy crabbie into quarters before serving.
- You can add a dash of Old Bay seasoning to the mixture for some extra zip! You can also sprinkle it on after it's baked.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details.
