Crab Imperial Casserole
Source: LisaVA (GW)
(Note: My personal favorite from Southern Living. I normally make this on Thanksgiving or Christmas or for a really special occasion and I double the recipe and put in a 13x9 inch casserole dish, BUT by all means it must be Jumbo Lump crab.)
1 pound of fresh lump crabmeat
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 TBS. all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 tsps. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsps. dry mustard
3/4 tsps. salt
1 TBS. lemon juice
2 tsps. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2 TBS. Butter
Drain crabmeat. Put in a bowl. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until mixture is smooth. Cook 1 min. stirring constantly.
Gradually add half and half, cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in parsley and next 5 ingredients; add crabmeat, stirring gently (don't break up the lumps of crab meat). Have a greased small casserole dish (glass is best) and spoon the crab mixture into the dish. Then break up fresh white bread into chunks and place on top of the crab mixture and then drizzle melted butter over the top of the bread. Then place in a 350 degree oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.