Recipe: Cajun Crab Spread

I admit I make very few recipes with seafood in my kitchen. It's not that I hate it, I just dislike the smell that tends to linger in my kitchen for days afterwards! This is one that involves no cooking so I can handle it. It's a great dip for a party, or as a filling for sandwiches and wraps.

To get the costs way down, visit your local restaurant supply store. (At most restaurant stores, anyone can shop there without a membership. Prices and sizes are similar to Costco) I picked up a 2.5 lb bag of imitation crab meat for $2.99 at Cash & Carry - and that's their every day price! You'll pay that at a regular grocery store for the 10 oz this recipe calls for:

4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Cajun spices (or more, to suit your taste)
2 garlic cubes smashed (I use Knorr's) OR 1 fresh pressed garlic clove
10-12 oz imitation (or real, if your budget allows it) crab meat


Make sure the cream cheese is properly softened. I left mine out on the counter while I prepared the crab meat and it was soft enough. If it still seems hard, you can always microwave it a few seconds (take it out of the package first!!). Add the mayonnaise, pressed garlic, and Cajun spices, and whip it all together really good. If you have kitchen helpers, this is the time to let them help! ;)


While you are letting the cream cheese soften, you'll want to chop the crab meat. A shortcut: I use kitchen scissors on mine and cut the pieces into sliced chunks. You can chop the meat as finely as you want, or a little chunky like I did. I recommend more finely for cracker spreads, and a little more chunky for sandwich fillings.


Mix the crab meat well with the cream cheese mix. Chill for an hour or two before serving.


To use in a wrap - spread liberally on tortilla. (I recommend the nice sun dried tomato ones from Mission Tortilla - yum!) Add fresh spinach leaves or romaine lettuce, roll and cut in half at an angle.

If you buy a larger package of crab meat such as the one I bought - add the entire package of cream cheese, 1 cup of mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning (or more, to suit your taste), 3 pressed garlic cloves to the 2.5 package of crab meat.

Costs for regular recipe:
imitation crab meat: $2.99
cream cheese $0.25
Cajun seasoning $0.10
mayonnaise $0.35 (use coupon found here for Hellman's Light)
garlic $0.10
Total: $3.79 plus cost of crackers or wraps