Baked Crab Dip

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9 to 10-inch cast iron skillet, a 9-inch pie dish, a 2 to 2.5-quart casserole dish or similar with cooking spray; set aside.

To a large bowl, add the cream cheese and either beat by hand momentarily until smooth, or use a handheld electric mixer. Tip - Set your cream cheese out an hour before you need to use it and you can easily beat by hand for 20 seconds, no need to dirty a mixer.

Add the sour cream, mayo, onion, garlic, Worcestershire, lemon juice, Old Bay, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Tip - If you like a bit of heat, add a couple shakes of Tabasco or other similar hot sauce or a bit of red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

Add about 1 1/4 cups shredded cheese, half the chives, all of the crab meat (see Notes below or in blog post), and stir to incorporate. Turn the mixture out into the prepared skillet or pan.

Evenly top with the remaining cheese (about 3/4 cup), the remaining chives, and bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is as golden browned as desired, and the edges are lightly bubbling. Tip - All ovens vary so check early and rotate the skillet once midway through baking to ensure even browning.

Optionally, garnish with extra chives, green onions, red pepper flakes, or as desired.

Serve with toasted bread, garlic bread, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.