Mini Crab Cake Pies

Crab cakes are a variety of fishcakes  popular in the Unites States especially on the eastern seaboard and down south. A crab cake is composed of crabmeat and various other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, milk, mayonnaise, eggs, yellow onions and seasonings. Occasionally other ingredients such as red or green peppers or pink radishes are added, at which point the cake is then sauteed, baked or grilled and then served.
Crab cakes are traditionally associated with the area surrounding the Chesapeake Bay, in particular the state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore.

According to General Mills, Bisquick was invented in 1930 after one of their top sales executives met an innovative train dining car chef on a business trip. After the sales executive complimented the chef on his deliciously fresh biscuits, the dining car chef shared that he used a pre-mixed biscuit batter he created consisting of lard, flour, baking powder and salt. The chef then stored his pre-mixed biscuit batter on ice in his kitchen ahead of time, enabling him to bake fresh biscuits quickly on the train every day. As soon as the sales executive returned from that business trip, he stole the chef's idea and created Bisquick. It was officially introduced on grocers' shelves in 1931.

Although first promoted for making just biscuits ("90 seconds from package to oven," the slogan read), Bisquick was soon used to prepare a wide variety of other baked goods. 

Cook's notes: There is something about a box of Bisquick that makes me think of southern cooking. Perhaps its the biscuit part. This adapted recipe comes from the Betty Crocker kitchens using Bisquick and crabmeat. 

The recipe makes 8 mini crab cake pies, serve with a side of  corn or a steamy bowl of chowder.

 Easy Mini Crab Cake Pies

Crab Mixture Ingredients:

• 1 can ( 4.5 oz.) crabmeat, drained, flaked
• 1/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 TB. olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced yellow onions
• 1/2 cup combination chopped red and green peppers
• 1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Baking Mixture Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix
• 1/2 cup 2 % milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp. mixed herbs 

Crab Cake Aioli Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 and grease regular size muffin cups with cooking spray
• In a small bowl mix drained crabmeat and 1/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning; set aside
• In a 10 inch skillet add oil and heat until hot, add onions and peppers and stir fry about 4 minutes
• Add crabmeat mixture and stir until thoroughly heated-cool 5 minutes, stir in cheese
• In a bowl add Bisquick, eggs, milk and spices;whisk to blend well
• Spoon 1 TB. batter into each muffin well, add heaping tablespoon crabmeat mixture over batter and top with 2 TB. Bisquick batter
• Bake 18 minutes 
• Serve each mini cake pie with 1/2 tsp. Aioli sauce