Hot Seafood Spread

Can you make seafood spread without the bread bowl?

Yes! Bread bowls are festive and easy to make, but you can certainly omit the bread bowl. Instead of bread, consider using tortilla chip scoops, pita wedges, crackers or raw veggie sticks as vessels for the seafood spread.

How can you make seafood spread your own?

Spring for a can of real lump crabmeat and chopped and cooked wild shrimp instead of using imitation crab and canned shrimp. You could lighten up the dip by using lower-fat mayonnaise and cream cheese, but definitely don't skimp with fat-free mayo or cream cheese, because the dip’s texture will suffer without the fat.

Can you make seafood spread ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the seafood spread in advance and keep it warm, covered, in your oven’s warming drawer or in a small slow cooker. Do this only without the bread bowl, though: If the bread bowl is made ahead and kept warm, it will harden and dry out, making it less than a party-perfect potluck appetizer.

—Christine Rukavena, Taste of Home Senior Book Editor