Then, Hurricane Hugo paid us a visit and left a path of destruction across the Lowcountry. The restaurant was once again destroyed and rebuilt! After years of serving great food at reasonable prices to families, they became an upscale pricey restaurant catering to the fine-dining crowd. After eating at the restaurant for many years I dined there only once after this change and $300 later (yes, there was four alcoholic drinks involved in that bill for two) I came away with a full belly but with a lot less money in my wallet. It was the same quality of food that I used to enjoy when we ate there when the prices were affordable for many families the atmosphere was just not as rustic.
Below is their simple but delicious crab dip recipe so that you can indulge in some of Charleston’s history that I was lucky enough to live.
Trawler Crab Dip
This delicious dip is 2 SmartPoints per tablespoon!
1 Cup Mayonnaise
1ā2 Cup Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
2 Tablespoons French Dressing (orange one)
1 to 1Ā 1ā2 TeaspoonĀ Horseradish (from dairy case)
Mix ingredients and chill until firm. Serve with Captainās Wafers.
Ā
Ā
By changing to lighter versions of my ingredients, I was able to enjoy one of my favorite dips while maintaining a healthy diet.
Lite Trawler Crab Dip
This lite version is only 1 SmartPoint per 2 tablespoons!
1 Cup Reduced Fat Lite Mayonnaise
1ā2 Cup 2% Milk Reduced Fat Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
2 Tablespoons Fat-Free French Dressing (orange one)
1 to 1Ā 1ā2 Teaspoon Horseradish (from the dairy case)
Mix ingredients and chill until firm. Serve with celery for no added points or light crackers.
I am thinking that plain unsweetened greek yogurt would also work well with this recipe. What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts and serving suggestions.
Ā 
Check out more recipes on Sweet Southern Savings.
Has anyone used fresh crab meat instead of canned?
I have used blue crab when we used to do a lot of crabbing.
I love crab meat and this dip sounds fantastic! I am going to make it for Christmas. Thanks.
This sounds so yummy, thanks for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much for sharing this. The recipe sounds awesome. I can’t wait to try it. God Bless
Thank you, thank you for this. I have fond memories of eating at the Trawler when I lived in Charleston and their unmatched crab dip. I remember having it on melba toast. You don’t have their recipe for fish stew, do you? It was amazing, too.
June, Bless your heart! lol I will ask Paula about the Fish Stew!!
This recipe is close to the Trawler’s Lowcountry Fish Stew that they used to bring you in a cup.
6 slices diced bacon
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1/2 bell pepper, finely diced
4 Irish potatoes (1 to 2 cups), peeled and diced small*
1 or 2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, plus 1 can of water**
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 diced parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
3 ounces tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of garlic salt
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless perch, flounder, red snapper, or whiting fillets, diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
In a soup kettle over medium-high heat, fry the bacon and drain it on a paper towel.
In the bacon grease, saute the onion, celery and bell pepper.
In a separate pot, cook the potatoes until they are tender. Drain them.
When the onions are clear (translucent), add the water and tomatoes and bring it to a boil. Add all of the other ingredients, except the fish. Reduce to simmer. Cover and cook gently for 50 minutes. Stir in the fish and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand with lid on for 5 minutes.
*I use red potatoes.
**The amount you use depends on how thick you like your stew. I like to use two cans of stewed tomatoes and omit the can of water.
These recipes look very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
I would love to try this crab dip with my chips
Yum! I have never been here before, but these dip recipe sounds delicious! I am definitely going to have to make it sometime. Thanks for sharing!
What an easy recipe! my grandpa used to make a crab dip and haven’t had it in 20 years! I’ll have to make this for my mom and baby bro for this new year’s eve!
This sounds so good. I can’t wait to make this. My family would love it. Thank you for sharing