Crab Melt Recipes

The iconic deli or classic diner spread-the melt, open-faced or smushed in between two slices of buttery griddled bread. You often see patty melts and tuna melts doting these dive menus but what about a crab melt? Missed opportunity if you ask me, so today we’re substituting the hamburger or boring canned tuna salad for delicious Maryland crab meat-in not one but TWO melty applications.

The first crab melt sandwich that we’re making will be a twist on the tuna melt. Jumbo Lump Crab Meat will be the star of this ooey-gooey masterpiece. The second crab melt recipe will be an open-faced culinary construction using our award-winning jumbo lump crab cakes.

Key Ingredients of a Classic Melt…

Besides our main attraction, crab meat and crab cakes, there are a couple of ingredient staples needed to build the most delicious crab melt sandwich recipe;

1. Really good cheese, either provolone, cheddar or Swiss. The meltier the better.
2. Thick juicy slices of tomato-the best tomatoes this time of year (or anytime of year, really) are the heirloom varieties. I like the heirloom tomatoes because they always seem to maintain the flavor of summer, are large (some are so large one slice covers the entire slice of bread-that’s good) and always the perfect ripeness. Colorful too!
3. The butter. Our bread needs to be slathered in delicious top shelf butter-the difference is night and day. I like using salted butter for my melts and tend to go either the French or Irish route when picking my best butter.
4. The bread needs to hold up to the melty abuse and I feel that thick slices of bakery fresh sourdough works wonders.
5. The traditional patty melts usually have a Russian or Thousand Island style dressing. We’re going to Maryland-ize this for our Crab Cake Melts.

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Jumbo Lump Crab Melt

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes

Total Time 11 minutes

Servings 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

Crab Salad:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon fresh chives chopped
• 1 lb. Cameron’s Seafood Jumbo Lump Crab Meat drained
• 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
• 4 thick slices sourdough bread

Toppings:

• 4 thick slices heirloom tomatoes
• 2 slices good deli style cheddar cheese
• 2 slices good deli style swiss cheese
• 1 dill pickle thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, old bay and chives until smooth. Carefully fold in jumbo lump crab meat until completely coated. Refrigerate until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
2. Spread butter on one side of each slice of sourdough. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and place 2 slices of bread, butter side down.
3. Top bread evenly with crab mixture, tomato slices, cheddar, swiss and pickles. Top with remaining bread slices, butter side up.
4. Toast sandwiches for 2-3 minutes per side or until bread is toasted golden brown and cheese has melted. Slice sandwiches and serve.

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Open-Faced Crab Cake Melt

Prep Time 13 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2 sandwiches

Ingredients

Maryland-Style Russian Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon capers minced
• 1 teaspoon dill pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
• 2 thick slices sourdough bread
• 2 Cameron’s Seafood Crab Cakes prepared following our easy cooking instructions and flattened slightly to fit your bread

Toppings:

• 2-4 thick slices heirloom tomatoes
• 2 slices good deli style cheddar cheese
• 2 slices good deli style swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler to high and place oven rack at least 10 inches from the heat source.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, capers, relish, lemon juice and old bay until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
3. Spread butter on one side of each slice of sourdough. Heat a large oven proof skillet over medium heat and place slices of bread, butter side down.
4. Spread Maryland-style Russian Dressing evenly on each slice and top with a crab cakes, tomatoes, cheddar and swiss.
5. Toast bread for 2 minutes on the stove and place sandwiches under the broiler. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve warm.

Buy Maryland Crab Meat and Crab Cakes Online

You can buy our Lump Maryland Crab Meat and Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Meat from our online store. All of Cameron’s Maryland Crab Meat comes straight from the Chesapeake Bay to your door with guaranteed freshness. The best crab meat in the world comes from Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs!

Show us how you make crab melt recipes with Cameron’s Seafood. Whether you make these delicious recipes or have one of your own that you would like to share-we’d love to hear from you. Post your own Cameron’s Seafood dish on Instagram and tag us @cameronsseafoodonline. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter, we look forward seeing your creations.

By: Patterson Watkins

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