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Baked Clams Casino Dip Recipe

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Clams casino dip is the PERFECT party dip! This dip recipe is a take on baked clams, with bacon and buttery crackers on top. With lots of melted cheese, bacon, and clams, it will disappear in the blink of an eye!

If you look at my index of appetizer recipes, you’ll see that I’m a fan of dips, especially for holiday entertaining. With so many parties to attend, it’s nice to have a quick and easy recipe that I can make for my guests. Because I’m in love with melted cheese, hot dips are my preference. And where there are hot dips, dippers like chips, crackers, and bread are sure to follow. Those are the rules in my carb-loving world, my friends.

That is where my clams casino dip recipe and some of my favorite flavors of Town House crackers come into the party picture.

homemade clam dip with bacon and cheese

What is clams casino?

Classic clams casino is a fancy appetizer featuring fresh clams baked in the shell with bacon fat, crispy pieces of bacon, and a topping of breadcrumbs. In other words, clams casino is HEAVEN in a shell. 

Turning a delicious appetizer into an delightfully warm dip doesn’t take much effort, my friends. It’s as simple as baking the ingredients, minus the clam shells!

hot clams casino dip with crackers

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not very good at channeling my inner Martha Stewart or Ina Garten when it comes to hosting parties, but that’s why I love easy dip recipes. Not much effort is required to put them together, and they’re always crowd favorites.

Recipe Notes

  • High sodium ahead! If you don’t use canned clams, I’m here to warn you about how salty they can be. When you make the clam dip, be sure to rinse the clams before you start mixing everything together. Your blood pressure will thank you.

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with fresh clams, you can absolutely use them instead of canned clams. Of course, if you make this clam dip with fresh clams you should make extra, because I’ll be asking for an invite to your party!

clams casino dip on a buttery cracker

 

What are your favorite party dips? Use the comment section below to share your party ideas with me! 

Oh, and if you like this clams casino dip recipe, will you please rate the recipe? I really appreciate the feedback!

Other hot dip recipes

 

dish of baked clams casino dip

Clams Casino Dip

A take on baked clams casino, this hot dip recipe features clams, bacon, and lots of cheese. It's topped off with buttery crushed crackers.

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 186

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup cracker crumbs, (use a buttery cracker, such as Townhouse or Ritz)
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 12 ounces canned chopped clams, drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces bottled clam juice
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (1/3 cup cooked bacon pieces)
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, (juice of 1 medium lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha , or hot sauce of your choice
  • 5 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the clams, clam juice, bacon, lemon juice, garlic powder, pepper, hot sauce and 4 ounces of mozzarella cheese. (Reserve 2 Tablespoons for sprinkling on top of the dip before baking.)
  • Transfer ingredients into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or similar small casserole dish and use a spoon or spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top of dip. Top dip with remaining mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle paprika over the top.
  • Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and golden.
  • Serve warm with crackers, chips, or raw veggies.

Recipe Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Clams Casino Dip
Amount Per Serving (3 tbsp)
Calories 186 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 482mg 20%
Potassium 87mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Sugars 1g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin A 5.6%
Vitamin C 3.9%
Calcium 14.8%
Iron 3.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

baking dish of hot clam dip with bacon titled photo of the best clam dip

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Comments

    • Michael Gilletti says

      January 11, 2015 at 7:58 pm

      I also love clams casino, hard to find any kind of consistency when you dine out. I want to make my own do you have a recipe that you would like to share.

      Reply

      • Chef Becca says

        January 11, 2015 at 8:16 pm

        Hi Michael,

        You’re absolutely right that tasty clams casino is difficult to find when dining out. Truthfully, I think the key to success is to use high quality butter. European butter has a higher butterfat content and is therefore, much richer than standard butter in the United States. I use and recommend Kerrygold butter.
        Because fresh clams are all but impossible to find here in Wisconsin, it’s been a very long time since I’ve made clams casino at home. However, this recipe from Fine cooking is very similar to the one I make. I hope you enjoy it! http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/classic-clams-casino.aspx

    • Chef Becca says

      January 1, 2015 at 11:15 am

      Thanks, Trevor!
      Shhh… don’t tell anyone, but I may have done exactly what you’re thinking. What can I say? I ran out of crackers and there was a spoon conveniently sitting nearby. 😉

      Reply

  10. David says

    December 30, 2014 at 7:48 am

    I don’t think I’ve ever actually had a clam dip, Becca…but these ingredients sound awesome! I might just need to whip up a batch of this for New Year’s Eve. 🙂 (P.S. You had ME at bacon!!)

    Reply

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