Dungeness Crab Melt is a rich and decadent open faced sandwich with lump crab meat and creamy Tillamook cheese.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, my family would always go boating. We would come home with the freshest seafood from King salmon to Dungeness crab and when we did, my mother would make Dungeness crab melts.
The classic version uses cheddar cheese and a slice of tomato. I’ve taken a blend of buttery Dungeness crab, sharp white cheddar, fire roasted tomatillos and spicy pepper jack and mounded it up on grilled sourdough. it’s rich, it’s cheesy and it is perfect for Valentine’s Day brunch or anytime you want an indulgence.
Ingredients in Dungeness Crab Melt
- Dungeness Crab – Fresh Dungeness lump crab
- Tomatillos – You’ll find these in your Mexican grocery store or near the jalapenos.
- Sourdough Bread – Seattle Sourdough bread is my favorite.
- Heavy Cream – Also known as whipping cream.
- Butter – I’m a firm believer in real butter.
- Cheese – Tillamook white cheddar and pepper jack cheese.
- Mayonnaise – Hellmann’s real mayonnaise is the best.
- Green Onion – Chopped green onions adds that fresh flavor.
Related Recipes
If you love crab like I do, you have come to the right page! Dungeness Crab Rolls let the crab shine with butter warmed lump pieces, minced red pepper, tarragon, smoky chipotle and a squeeze of lemon. They’re a real PNW favorite. Dungeness Crab Enchiladas are rich, buttery and totally indulgent with creamy Monterrey Jack cheese and tangy salsa verde. Perfect for those colder nights when he want something warm and cozy. For those hot summer nights on the patio, Dungeness Crab Capellini is light with plenty of crab, hints of lemon, chives and bacon with a splash of cream.
Dungeness Crab Melt
Ingredients
- 10 tomatillos, sliced in half shell removed
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 1 inch sourdough bread slices
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 lb Dungeness crab
- 1 cup Tillamook white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Tillamook pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 tsp green onion, thinly chopped plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatillo halves on a sheet pan and roast until charred about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, reserve 4 halves of tomatillo for crab mixture. Blend the remaining tomatillos with a splash of heavy cream. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat. Butter both sides of each slice of sourdough bread. Grill on each side and set aside.
- Drain excess moisture from crab meat and place crab meat in a bowl. Add Tillamook white cheddar cheese, Tillamook pepper jack cheese, mayonnaise, green onion and 4 halves of the roasted tomatillo. Gently fold together.
- Place grilled slices of sourdough bread on a sheet pan. Top with 1/4 of the crab mixture. Place under broiler until melted and dripping down the sides.
- Place a spoonful of tomatillo sauce on each serving plate and toasted crab melt on top. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions. (This is an open faced sandwich. Photo shows two slices of grilled toast, but recipe only calls for one.)
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Getting ready to make it but I’m a little confused by the instructions. Your summary paragraph says something about spicy pepper jack cheese but it’s not in the ingredients list … ?
You are correct! Thank you for catching that. The ingredient list mistakenly lists cheddar cheese, while it should list pepper jack cheese.
Got it, thanks! Making it for lunch today and I’ll report back. I captured 8 legal Dungeness at the beach last week, and am trying out every recipe I can!