My Quick and Easy Crab Melts are seriously delicious and oh so versatile. They are great for a light lunch or brunch with some chips (crisps) or a salad, or you can cut them into small slices or squares and serve as appetizers, on a buffet, or at a cocktail party. I serve them a lot during the holiday season. Perfect for warmer days when you don’t want to have the stove going for too long, in cooler weather these Crab Melts are a tasty accompaniment to a warming bowl of soup.
Crab Melts are really satisfying with the crab meat and cheese; I serve half a slice of French bread or ciabatta per person. Of course, you can easily double or triple the recipe to serve more people. I use Seafood and Eat It white crab meat (not sponsored, just saying!), ready prepared in a little pot from the grocery store. It’s expensive, but a little goes a long way. You can also use canned white crab meat as a more frugal option.
Crab meat is relatively low in calories and very high in protein, vitamins and minerals. If I’m just making a crab melt for myself, I use wholegrain bread with chia seeds, or a nice sourdough rye bread to make it more nutritious, and I just use one slice of cheese. It’s still a treat, but it’s a relatively healthy one.
Love crab as much as I do? Check out these easy Crab Recipes!
You can use this cheese topped crab mixture on just about anything. I can’t get Triscuits here in the UK but I’d love to put a teaspoon of the crab mixture on top of several of them, top with cheese, grill and serve as tiny crab melts canapés.
Whether you serve crab melts as a light lunch, canapés or as part of a buffet, you will love how easy and delicious this recipe is!
How to Make Crab Melts
Put the French bread or ciabatta bread halves in the oven on a baking sheet at about 350°F (175°C) or under the broiler or grill for five minutes or until they are beginning to take on a bit of colour.
Meanwhile, mix the crab meat with the mustard, red pepper and celery.
Add crème fraîche or sour cream as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Mix together gently. Divide the crab mixture between the pieces of bread.
Top with the cheese slices.
Return the crab and cheese topped bread to the oven for five to ten minutes, or place under the broiler or grill, until the cheese is bubbling and brown.
The cheese gets very hot, so allow these to cool a bit before serving one half of the panini or ciabatta to each person, or cutting the crab melts into small pieces to serve as hors d’oeuvres.
Quick and Easy Crab Melts – Printable Recipe
- ½ cup white crab meat
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream (low fat is fine)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese or Swiss cheese, or use Pepper Jack if you like a bit of spice
- a four or five inch slice of baguette, long French bread, or ciabatta bread, cut carefully in half lengthwise
- Put the French bread or ciabatta bread halves in the oven on a baking sheet at about 350°F (175°C) or under the broiler or grill for five minutes or until they are beginning to take on a bit of colour.
- Meanwhile, mix the crab meat with the mustard, red pepper, and celery.
- Add crème fraîche or sour cream as well as salt and pepper to taste. Mix together gently.
- Divide the crab mixture between the pieces of bread and top with the cheese slices.
- Return the crab and cheese topped bread to the oven for five to ten minutes, or place under the broiler or grill, until the cheese is bubbling and brown.
- The cheese gets very hot, so allow these to cool a bit before serving one half of the panini or ciabatta to each person, or cutting into small pieces to serve as hors d’oeuvres.
More Crab Recipes
Shrimp and Crab Appetizer Salad Recipe
Quick and Easy Crab and Shrimp Melts
this looks really really good. i bet my family would love it. i’ll have to try it out.
Thank you, Katrina! I hope your family enjoy them as much as we do 🙂
Those look fantastic, April! I can never get enough crab. 😉
Shirley
Thank you, Shirley. I feel like that about crab too 🙂
This is one of my favourite lunches thanks !!
Thank you 🙂 xxx
Ooooo, that must be heaven! I love crab and these crab melts are so easy to make! Thanks for sharing. #let’sgetrealfridayparty
They really are delicious, Ana 🙂
Oh wow. That’s the yummiest looking sandwich I’ve seen in a while. I live in Florida, so super fresh seafood is always available. I can’t wait to put some fresh crab to good use!
Thank you, Jennifer 🙂 This recipe would be lovely with just caught crab – I’d love to live a little bit closer to the sea!
Oh my goodness, that photo is making me drool! This looks absolutely delicious with its melty cheese goodness!
Thank you, Beeb 🙂
I Love Crab This Looks So Delicious I Must Make ASAP Thank You!
Thank you, Lisa. It really is a family favourite 🙂
That looks so delicious! Would love to have one right now! Crab is a favorite treat around here, will have to try this recipe soon.
Thank you, Barb! I hope you and yours enjoy it as much as we do around our house 🙂
You are right – these are seriously delicious!!!!
Thank you, MJ!
Glad we’re all on the same page about how delicious these look! I don’t often cook to impress, but I can see these being on the menu next time I do.
Thank you so much, Pauline! They really are fantastic for entertaining – quick, easy and always delicious 🙂
These look delicious April I would never of thought of crab meat but I bet it is great
It really is, Amber. Thank you 🙂
This looks so delicious you could cut them smaller and serve as appetizers to guests. I absolutely love crab so this is really appealing. Yum.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Leanna. I make it so often and folks always seem to love it!
Afraid I only had can of crab ( I live in the prairies) celery and salt and pepper out of the recipe! So I used peppercorn ranch and marble cheese to add to the recipe! Still delicious!! Thanks!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Barb! Canned crab is absolutely fine, and I’m so pleased you were able to adapt the recipe to what you had on hand. Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
What a perfect choice for summer picnics! Delicious!
Thank you so much, Laura!
These look truly delicious! Pinning! 🙂
Thank you so much, Donna, and thank you for pinning too! 🙂
Wow, that looks good, April.
Thank you so much, Carol!
April, all I can say is, “Yum!” I pinned this for…tomorrow!
Thank you, Helen! I hope you enjoy! Thank you for pinning too.
Hi April,
Congratulations your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week! Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope you will share with us again soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I really appreciate the feature!