In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, cheddar, scallions, shallots, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce (if using), and salt. Blend until completely combined. Add the crab meat and gently stir until it is blended evenly into the creamy mixture.
Transfer the dip to a 1-quart baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for about 25 minutes until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Serve hot, sprinkled with chives if desired, with whatever accompaniments you like.
Notes
Lump is the optimal type of crab meat for this dip, and fresh is best, but it’s quite expensive. You can use whatever crab meat fits into your budget, and if you can’t get fresh, buy a high-quality canned crab and make sure there is plenty of time on the can before it expires. Don’t bother with jumbo lump crab for this dip, since when it’s all combined, it will break apart into smaller pieces anyway.
Drain any excess liquid from the crab so it won’t make the dip watery.
Go light on any added salt since the crab itself will also be fairly salty. Taste your crab and see if you even need to add salt to the recipe. I’ve found that out the hard way, and it’s an expensive lesson to learn!
The hot sauce is optional, but a small amount will just perk up the flavors without overpowering them.
Once you add the crab to the dip, don’t overmix it; just blend until the crab is evenly distributed. Over-blending will break up the crabmeat more than necessary, and you want those nice little chunks of crab throughout the dip.
I like using thick shredded cheese vs. finely shredded as this creates little melted cheesy pockets in the dip.
Make-Ahead and StorageThis dip can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and then stored in the fridge, covered, until ready to bake. If you are baking it straight from the fridge, you’ll want to add another 5 minutes or more of baking time for it to become hot and creamy.Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. You can reheat them in a 350-degree oven until warm or heat them in the microwave if you prefer.