To get started, Preheat oven to 350.Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don’t add moisture to the dip. Then dice ’em up.
In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Stir in mayonnaise, onion, garlic, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese
and the diced peppers.
Combine well
and then place in an 8×8-ish dish (a pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you’re going to cook it later and you can even prep it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of the dish you use and your oven, so keep an eye on things. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 minutes.
If the dip is done and your party hasn’t started, just keep it warm in the oven. If you’re eating left-overs or you cooked it ahead of time, reheat in the oven as well. Funky things happen in the microwave. Don’t ask me why, I’m sure Alton Brown could explain it, but I’m no food scientist. You can serve it with anything that sounds good–tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers (don’t get fancy with the flavors–just plain crackers are best) or veggies. However my favorite is soft, warm baguette slices.
There’s something about toasty, chewy bread with gooey garlicky cheese that just makes me happy. (I’m sure a psychotherapist somewhere is making a lot of connections with that one…)
