Cheesy Crab Dip

I modified an old Pampered Chef recipe for this hot and tasty crab dip that we tried at wine club. Try this appetizer with a nice, buttery chardonnay!

ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2-cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 6 oz. can of crab meat, chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss and/or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 lemon
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise in bowl. Grate garlic into bowl using Microplane grater/zester; mix well.

2. Juice lemon to measure 1-tablespoon juice. Add crabmeat, cheese, green onions, bell pepper, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce to bowl; mix well.

3. Spoon crabmeat mixture into oven safe dish. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Yield: 3 cups (12 servings or 24 sample servings)

notes
The original recipe called for 8 oz. of imitation crab meat, but I think it's tastier with the canned crab meat that I found at Trader Joe's.

Also, I didn't have any Tabasco sauce, so I used a few drops of Sriracha sauce. Next time I would add even more because I didn't think there was enough of a kick.