Old Bay crab dip for 12: lump crab folded into cream cheese, sour cream and mayo with Old Bay and lemon, mixed at home in about 20 minutes. Serve it cold in any lot, or top it with cheddar and bake it in a foil pan, since at M&T Bank Stadium you can only cook in the hot lots: A, B/C, G, H, N, NN and O.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 20 min · Total: about 1 hour 20 min at home, mostly chilling, plus about 25 min at the lot for the hot version
Home gear: a mixing bowl, a rubber spatula and a half-size foil pan with a lid (or a 2-quart lidded container for the cold version)
Pack for the lot
- Dip, lidded, in the cooler on ice
- Green onions, in a small bag
- Old Bay, for a fresh dusting
- Crackers, toasted baguette slices and celery
- A shallow tray or pan of ice to set the dip in (cold version)
- Grill and fuel (hot version, hot lots only)
- Instant-read thermometer (hot version)
- Heat-proof gloves (hot version)
- Spreaders or small spoons
Lot notes
- The M&T Bank Stadium rule: you can only cook in the hot lots: A, B/C, G, H, N, NN and O. In those lots, charcoal has to be self-starting with no lighter fluid, propane tops out at a 20 lb tank mounted to the grill, and nothing cooks within 2 feet of a vehicle. Lots K, L and SWH are cold lots (no cooking), and Lot F has no tailgating at all. Check the letter on your permit, then pick the version.
- No grill, still hot: you can bake it at home (375°F for 20 to 25 minutes) and carry it hot, wrapped in towels in an empty cooler. Eat it within 2 hours of baking, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F.
- Keep the cold one cold: it's a dairy and mayo dip, so it stays on ice at 40°F or below. Out of the ice, the 2-hour rule applies, or 1 hour above 90°F.
- Timing: tailgating ends 30 minutes after kickoff, so a hot dip goes on the grill well before then.
- Cleanup: coals go in the red barrels. Leftover dip that sat out past the 2-hour mark gets thrown out, not repacked.
Can you make crab dip ahead?
Yes. Mix it up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. The cold version is ready to serve, and the hot version bakes straight from the cooler, just add a few minutes and check for 165°F in the center.
How do you keep crab dip cold at a tailgate?
Leave it in the cooler until people are ready, then set the container in a shallow pan of ice while it's out. Never let it sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Double it: 2 lb crab, 16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup each of sour cream and mayo, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 4 tsp Old Bay and 6 green onions, plus 2 cups cheddar for the hot version. That feeds 20 to 24, and crab usually comes in 1 lb containers, so doubling is simpler than 1⅔ batches.
Can you grill at M&T Bank Stadium?
Yes, in the hot lots: A, B/C, G, H, N, NN and O. Lots K, L and SWH are cold lots with no cooking, so make the cold version there, and Lot F has no tailgating at all.
What crab meat is best for crab dip?
Lump crab meat gives you big, sweet pieces without the price of jumbo lump. Pick through it on a plate for bits of shell and fold it in last so it stays in chunks.