Baking Lump Crab Casserole-Style

1. Set your oven temperature to 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the type of casserole you're making. For example, deviled crab is typically baked at 350 F, while crab imperial is baked at 400 F.

2. Place the lump crabmeat in a medium-sized bowl, picking through it to make sure there aren't any shells or pieces of cartilage. Set the crab aside.

3. Combine your other ingredients in a separate bowl. If you're making deviled crab, ingredients usually include dry mustard, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, seafood seasoning and eggs. Crab imperial is a bit more luxurious, with ingredients such as lemon juice, parsley, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise and half and half. Once you’ve combined all of the ingredients, fold the lump crab into the mixture.

4. Grease a baking dish or ramekins with cooking oil or cooking spray. Add the casserole mixture to your baking dish and place the dish in the oven.

5. Bake the crab casserole for 20 to 30 minutes or until it’s golden and bubbly. If you aren’t sure whether it’s cooked enough, insert an instant-read thermometer in the center. Once it reaches 165 F, the casserole is ready to remove from the oven and serve.

Baking Lump Crab Patties

1. Set your oven to 400 F and begin preheating it.

2. Use a medium-size mixing bowl to combine any seasonings, herbs and binding agents you're using. Some commonly used ingredients include scallions, parsley, red bell pepper, garlic, eggs or egg whites, lime or lemon juice, mayonnaise, melted butter, seafood seasoning, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, crushed crackers or bread crumbs.

3. Stir the lump crab gently into the rest of your ingredients before covering the bowl with plastic wrap.

4. Refrigerate the mixture for one to three hours to let the flavors combine. Chilling the mixture also helps it hold together better during cooking.

5. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and shape the mixture into patties that are roughly 1 inch thick.

6. Grease a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray before arranging the crab patties in a single layer.

7. Bake the lump crab patties for roughly 8 to 10 minutes before flipping them and baking them for another 8 to 10 minutes. The exterior should be browned and the internal temperature should be 165 F when you check it with an instant-read thermometer.