Baked Seafood Dip

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh raw shrimp
• 4oz good quality lump crab meat, shredded
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 tbsp jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/2 cup spinach, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning blend
• 4oz cream cheese
• 3 cups freshly grated Gouda cheese (not smoked!)
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 tsp chopped parsley
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Paprika to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. While oven is preheating, combine mashed garlic with 1/4 tsp sea salt. Prep shrimp and crab as needed, deveining and peeling shrimp and shredded crab meat.
2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on stove, and melt butter. Saute onion, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno in butter until tender. Then add spinach, salted mashed garlic, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir to combine.
3. When spinach is fully wilted, add crab and shrimp and cook until shrimp is just beginning to turn opaque, about one minute, then remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese, Gouda, and Gruyere, and add paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste if desired.
4. Place entire skillet in the oven, and bake until bubbly and golden, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from oven, and let rest for at least 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes if desired, and serve hot.