Crab Cakes with Aioli Sauce

Occasionally, I find myself with very odd cravings, and I'm sure you can all relate! Sometimes the cravings are pretty general - spicy food, for example. And sometimes, they are very specific - like Mi Ranchito's cream cheese chicken enchiladas!!

Most recently, I found myself craving seafood. I wanted something that I hadn't eaten in a long time - so no salmon or shrimp. And I wanted something that was a new recipe for me, since I love trying new things and posting them on my blog. I wanted something that wouldn't set me back too much money, since seafood is generally a bit higher-priced. I ending up finding a recipe for crab cakes that looked super easy and delicious - and since the recipe calls for canned crab, I knew it wouldn't be too expensive!

These crab cakes are totally awesome. Several reviewers on Allrecipes said that even though this recipe uses canned crab, it is so delicious, there's no reason to use fresh crab! These cakes are crunchy on the outside, yet soft and hot on the inside. Since they are baked and not fried, they are also surprisingly healthy. Served alongside a garlic-y homemade aioli sauce and mashed potatoes - it just doesn't get much better!

Crab Cakes with Homemade Aioli Sauce

8-12 green onions, chopped

3 (6-oz) cans canned crabmeat, drained well

2 eggs

3 TBS mayonnaise

3 tsp dry mustard

1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

pinch of other mixed seasonings - Old Bay or seafood seasoning

salt + pepper

bread crumbs (approx. 1 cup)

Aioli Sauce

3/4 C mayonnaise

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS lemon juice

pinch of salt + pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (the best part! don't leave it out!)

1. For aioli sauce, mix all together and refrigerate.

2. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs. Form into 1/2-inch patties. Roll patties in bread crumbs until coated.

3. Spray muffin pan with PAM. Divide crab mixture among muffin cups - depending on how large you want your patties, you may use between 6-10 muffin cups.

4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and heated through. Serve with aioli sauce.

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