Ultimate Party Crab Bites

By JoyT

Crab cakes, crab bites, what's the difference? Everybody loves them, so serve them at your next party! Make a lot–they go fast!

Ingredients

• 2 cups breadcrumbs, plus 1 cup
• 16 ounces crabmeat
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonaise
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (except 1 cup of reserved breadcrumbs). Scoop and form into bite sized balls.

Roll balls in reserved breadcrumbs. Place on a large platter and chill for a half of an hour.

Heat 1″ of oil in a large frying pan until a deep fry thermometer registers at 350ºF. Fry the crab bites until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and place on a cookie sheet in a 200ºF oven to keep them warm while you fry the rest of them up.

Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce and lemon wedges.