The Very Best Crab Dip Mold

Cut cream cheese into about 16 pieces and set aside.

Put soup into a small saucepan and warm. Do not boil.

When the soup is warm, add the cream cheese and stir until melted.

Turn off the heat. Add the mayonnaise to the cream cheese mixture and blend well.

Sprinkle gelatin evenly over the top of the soup mixture and stir to blend. When the gelatin has dissolved remove allow the mixture to set and cool to room temperature.

When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the remaining ingredients except for the crackers and stir to mix well.

Pour all into a bowl and chill for at least 8 hours. If you want to have it molded, pour it into a pretty shaped bowl like a Bundt pan lined with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours before serving.

When you are ready to serve flip the bowl upside down onto a serving plate and carefully remove plastic wrap. Serve cold with crackers.

NOTES: I have made this so many times I can't even tell you! I have used many different brands of soup and I can tell you that Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom is the only way to go for best flavor results. I have also made this with other than real mayonnaise and it does not taste right. Using real mayonnaise is a critical choice with this dip and Hellmann's or Best Foods are the best choices. The amount of onion and crab is up to you. We prefer a nice strong onion flavor, but if you don't please feel free to reduce the amount of onion. I prefer the flavor of red onion in this recipe, but I have used scallions and they weren't too bad. Now for the crab. I only use real fresh crab and I use a lot of it because it is so danged good. If you don't have access to fresh crab, you can use frozen snow or king crab. Be sure to thaw completely and drain well. You can also use canned lump crab ... again ... drain well. And it won't hurt to dab the crab with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. The amount of crab you use is - once again - up to you and your taste. If you like a lot of crab flavor use the higher amount. And one more note ... this is also extremely yummy if you add some shrimp to it! I hope you enjoy this timeless dish.

*NOTE * Regarding the mayonnaise - for best results use Hellman's. I have made it with Kraft and Dukes and neither tasted quite right. If you must use another brand, just know it won't taste the same. Important - this does not do well at all with Miracle Whip - it must be real mayonnaise.