Crab Potpies & Cream Cheese & Shrimp Dip

"I'm on a seafood diet. When I see food, I eat it." - Misc.

I have been wanting to get these recipes on the blog for weeks! I just had to keep looking for puff pastry at Wally-World! LOL. Well, last weekend, I found it. I have watched numerous chefs on TV working with puff pastry but I have never had the experience until now! Again, this is one of the little things that I would probably never have tried if I didn't embark on this awesome cooking journey. Walker has his first home soccer game tonight, so we will be devouring these dishes after his game. Justin is working right after school and James will be home a little later than normal as he is helping out by running errand like going to the bread store. :oP Regardless, after working with the puff pastry,I am sure I won't be as intimidated by it as I was before.

Well, the game was a loss and so was the crab potpie. I'm sure I may have done something wrong but this didn't have much flavor,wasn't thick enough and just wasn't worth digesting. I have been through numerous recipes and this one just isn't worthy. James said that he thought we would have come across one we didn't like long before this so *shrug* it's ok. :o) We did however, enjoy the shrimp dip! We just bought some bagette bread and it was fabulous!

Note: On the upside I only have 94 recipes to go before I have cooked the whole book!

Michael's Buttery Crab Potpies
pg. 58 The Deen Family Cookbook

1 stick of butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup clam juice
1/4 sherry
1/2 lb crabmeat
2 4oz can sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
2 sheets of frozen puffed pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened. Sprinkle in four and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the milk, clam juice, and sherry. Bring to a boil, stirring until thickened (about 2 minutes). Add the crabmeat, mushrooms, and peas; remove from heat and transfer to the fridge to cool.

2. Meanwhile, unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Place four oven proof bowls or large ramekins rim down on the pastry and cute four circles a bit larger that the bowls. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.

3. When crab is cooled, divide it among the four bowls. Brush the rims with egg mixture, lay pastry circle over each and seal the edges. Cut steam vents in the pastry and brush with the egg mixture. Place bowls on baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until the pastry is puffed and golden, 20 - 25 minutes. Serve hot.


Jodi's Cream Cheese and Shrimp Dip
pg. 32 The Deen Family Cookbook

14 oz cooked and chopped shrimp
one 3 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup fine chopped green onions, (white and green parts)
2 tsp sour cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp hot sauce
crackers or crusty bread and raw veggies for dipping