Last week, we had this delicious summery meal. We decided that the crab salad is so beautiful and quick that it would be perfect for a party someday. We could serve it up with some of those tiny toasts, or crackers. Or get big lettuce leaves and wrap some of the salad in each leaf, securing with a toothpick.

The crab salad is made with imitation crab, but can be made with the real stuff too, of course! It has bacon in it, so I used the bacon grease in the bottom of my cornbread pan. You pour it into the bottom of the pan and then add your batter while it’s still hot. So delicious! (That black stuff isn’t burned… it’s bacon remnants. Mmm…)

And now for the recipes…Yum!

Crab Salad

You Will Need:

• bacon – 10 slices or whatever you’ve got
• 1 pound of imitation crab meat, or real crab if you’re splurging
• a couple cups of frozen green peas
• 2/3 cups of mayonnaise, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons of honey

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until evenly brown and crisp. Set aside on paper towels to drain. Use the grease in your cornbread!

In a large bowl, flake the imitation crab meat. I used my hands, because that was easier than trying to use a fork. Mix in the peas.

Stir onion powder and honey into the mayonnaise, then mix into the crab mixture until blended.

Crumble or chop your bacon and add it to the crab mixture. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled over a bed of lettuce.

Honey Cornbread

You Will Need:

• bacon grease
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Dump your (still hot) bacon grease into a 9×9 inch glass baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, oil, honey, and eggs. Stir to combine. It can be a little lumpy.

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Enjoy!