When asked to bring “something Hors D’oeuvre-y” to a Pot-Luck Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (Yes, I know it’s October, I’m Canadian) I decided to make my Roasted Red Pepper Dip that mom always makes me bring to dinners (to humour me, I think). Here’s the tried and true recipe:

This is best made the day before you plan on wowing the world with your mad dip-mixing skillz, as it allows time for the mixing and softening of the … I don’t really know why, it just tastes better the second day.

You’ll need - 4 Red Peppers, One 500ml container of sour cream, 1 small jar of mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp dried parsley, 1 Tbsp dill weed, 2 cloves of garlic, Salt and pepper to taste

1. Realize it is one hour before all the stores close on thanksgiving weekend and panic while you run out the door for ingredients, forgetting the grocery list so you have to return home to get it. This step is not required, but it makes the process more exciting.

2. Realize all your knives are in the dishwasher. Wash one off, cut off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds. Slice peppers in half.

3. Roast peppers on a baking sheet with melted butter drizzled on top at 350 degrees until the skin starts to blacken. The internet says roasting a pepper should take 20 minutes, but it took about an hour in my oven, so what does the internet know. It needs to be pretty soft and if the skins are a bit black all over it makes it easier to peel off later. I have actually done this in the toaster oven before and it works fine.

4. Mix all other ingredients in a big bowl. No, a bigger bowl. If you think your bowl is big enough, go one size bigger.

5. Cool off the peppers, if you like your fingers. If not, go ahead and burn them off while handling hot peppers. Peel the skin off the peppers as best you can. Try not to think of how they look like prune-y feet that have been in the bath too long.

6. Dump the peeled peppers in the bowl and mix with one of those stick blendy things. You know what I mean, right? Here I’ll show you.. It’s gloopy from the dip, but I hope you can see what I mean…

(Stick Blender Thingy)

7. The dip will turn pink when you do this. Mix until you see no pepper chunks and the dip is a consistent colour. Taste test and add more garlic if it “needs something.”

8. Find something to dip in the dip. Fingers work, but the guests look at you funny if you do that, so maybe use pumpernickel bread cut into cubes, pita or naan wedges.

9. Sit back and enjoy your new status as king or queen of the world.