Shelly's Recipe

CRAB STUFFED POTATOES

Category: Twice Baked Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
5 turns of the pepper grinder
1/4 tsp Cajun/Creole seasoning, or to taste, optional
2 tsp grated onion
1/4 to 1/2 cup of half and half or cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb of fresh crab meat, or 2 pouches/cans
Paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub potatoes and poke several holes in each of them. Bake for 45 minutes directly on the oven rack, spacing them at least an inch apart. Check by inserting a knife into the potato to see if it is tender; if not, return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or as needed. Set aside to cool.

Turn out the crab into a colander; pick through for shell and set aside to drain. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato pulp. Combine the potato pulp with the cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning, and onion until well blended. Add enough cream to moisten the potatoes; stir in the cheddar. Add the crab meat and toss gently to combine. Refill the potato shells and sprinkle each potato lightly with paprika.

If serving immediately, bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until heated through. Otherwise these can be flash frozen individually and then wrapped and packaged for the freezer.