How do you prepare imitation crab meat?

Imitation crab meat works much the same as real crab meat, so it can be prepared using many of the same methods, such as in dips, salads, crab cakes, soups and stuffing. Although imitation crab meat resembles real crab meat, it is usually made from minced pieces of fish, such as Alaska pollock, that is mixed with starch and sugar, then dyed and formed into shapes like crab sticks.

A simple recipe that uses imitation crabmeat is a bacon-crab dip.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Chill time: 60 minutes

Ready in: 70 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sour cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
• 4 imitation crab sticks
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Step 1: Add sour cream and cream cheese to a bowl and mix well using a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Use a spatula to incorporate bacon, imitation crab, horseradish, green onions and black pepper. Mix well.

Step 2: Cover bowl tightly with lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Allow to chill for 1 hour before serving with crackers or toasted bagel pieces.