Crab Dip Stuffed Potato Cups

January 26, 2020 by Nicole Collins

Do you guys have any places in your life that’s a hidden gem?

You know, like a hole in the wall restaurant. Or, the best least likely place to buy clothes. Or, an underrated market.

I do. The Soda Pop Shop.

I may have told you guys about this place before, but it’s basically a hole in the wall quick mart that sells the best seafood around. It’s a little known secret in mine and surrounding neighborhoods. And, I’m telling you, I thank my lucky stars all the time that I live less than 5 mins away from it.

I’m sure I’ve also told you that I’m a future Floridian. As much as I rock my Maryland pride, it’s just way too cold for me here. And, let’s not talk about the crime stats in my city. I’ve always wanted to live in Florida. And this time of year, especially, I usually start building my moving plans.

Which is exactly what I’ve been doing the past few days.

I’ve been house shopping online. Daydreaming about the business I want to open. Wondering how Bisco will like playing with the geckos in the yard. Thinking about how much money I’d need to save to cover moving expenses and all the loaded appliances I want to put in the new house. Thinking realistically what moves I’d need to make in my life to make a move like this happen.

This will predominately be the topic of my thoughts for at least the next 3-4 months.

But, then I usually have a moment where I think “but where will I get my seafood”. “Can I get steamed shrimp in Florida?” “Can I get blue crab meat year round at a decent price in Florida?” And ultimately, “do I think I can talk the Pop Shop into opening up a store in central Florida?”

I’ve always been a big dreamer. So, who knows where life will take me. But for now, I’m going to stick with what I know. And, that brings us to today’s recipe.

Today, we’re making Crab Dip Stuffed Potato Cups!

Can we just take a second to scream out in joy? Because, these breakfast treats do that to me. They’re that amazing!

We start with some store bought shredded hash brown potatoes that have been thawed. Mix them with some shredded cheddar, melted butter, and good ol’ s&p. That’s it! I prefer to freshly shred my cheddar for this as opposed to using the pre-bagged stuff, because the fresh is going to melt much better. And, that’s what we need to help hold our cups together.

To make the potato cups, we’re going to bake them in stages. First, we press the potato mixture into the 6 cups of a well greased jumbo muffin tin. Then, throw them in the oven for their first round of baking.

In the meantime, we’re going to make our crab dip which is a simple mix of lump crab meat, softened cream cheese, a spoonful of mayo, and some Old Bay seasoning. If you’ve seen or made my recipe for Maryland Crab Dip, you know I like to mix the dip with my hands. I think it’s the best way to make sure all of the cream cheese is incorporated with the crab. It’s a tough job, but someone has got to do it. Plus, licking your hands before you wash them may be the best reward you could have!

After the potato cups finish round one of baking, we’re going to take them out of the oven, use a spoon to gently reform the potato cups, fill them with the crab dip mix, then pop them back in the oven for a few minutes. After the dip has a chance to warm up, round three involves cracking an egg into the cups, seasoning them with a little salt and pepper, then throwing them back in the oven for their final few minutes.

At the end, we’ve got a crispy potato cup stuffed with creamy crab dip and topped with a perfectly runny egg. Tell me something that sounds better than that. Go ahead. TRY! This is such a luscious and decadent dish. And, it’s really not that difficult to put together. Talk about a fancy offering at your next brunch party!

If you really want to get fancy, we can top these with some homemade Old Bay Hollandaise Sauce. These are incredible without the sauce, but adding the sauce actually adds a little acidity to this rich dish. I put the recipe for the Hollandaise in the notes of the recipe.

I shared this recipe with a supper club group that I’m a part of, and a lot of people were talking about swapping out the potato for some kind of veggie like riced cauliflower, shredded radish, or shredded zucchini. I’ll definitely update the recipe if any of their attempts are successful.

Alright everyone, if you have any tips for me on my imaginary (for right now) move to Florida, let me have them!

But for now, let’s eat!

---

Crab Dip Stuffed Potato Cups

Serves: 6 Print

Ingredients:

• 5 cups shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

• 1 cup shredded cheddar

• 4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• ½ tsp pepper, plus more to taste

• ½ lb lump crab meat

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened

• ½ tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

• 6 eggs

• chopped chives, for garnish

• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Start the Hash Brown Cups: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray a jumbo muffin tin with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, add potatoes, cheddar, butter, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper. Mix well to combine. Evenly divide potato mix between muffin tin cups. Use your hands to press the mix along the bottom and up the sides to form a cup shape. Bake for 20 mins.

2. Meanwhile, make the Crab Dip Mix: Wipe down the bowl used for the potato mix. Add crab meat, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and Old Bay. Use your hands to mix the crab dip, making sure the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Set aside.

3. After the potato cups have been in the oven for 20 mins, remove from oven and use a spoon to reform the potato cups by gently pressing the potatoes against the bottom and side of the cup. Divide the crab dip mix evenly between the 6 cups, and gently flatten the surface of the dip. Place back in the oven for 10 mins.

4. Take potato cups out of the oven, and carefully crack 1 egg into each cup. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place back in the oven for 10-15 mins until the egg reaches your desired doneness. (10 min should give you a runny yolk with a set egg white.) Use a butter knife to loosen the potato cup from the muffin tin, then use a spoon to scoop out the potato cup. Garnish with chives. Serve!

Recipe notes:

*These are DELISH as is, but you can also make them even fancier by making an Old Bay Hollandaise Sauce to drizzle on top. Add 3 egg yolks, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp + 1/8 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, and 1/8 tsp salt to a blender. Melt butter in a small saucepan until in just starts to foam. Run blender for about 10 seconds, then very slowly drizzle in the melted butter with the blender still running (through the opening in the lid). When the sauce reaches your desired thickness, it's ready to serve immediately!

*These babies are full! So, I found using a spoon to scoop them out of the muffin tin was so much easier than trying to pry them out with a knife or spatula.

*I recommend shredding your own cheddar from a block as opposed to buying pre-shredded cheese for this one. The cheese will melt so much better without the additives we find in bagged cheese.

*If you live in an area that has access to fresh crab meat, definitely opt for that instead of the stuff in the can. You know how I feel about this! It's such a difference in taste