From the Heart ~ Needleart by Wendy

One of our favorite family traditions is getting together to kick off the Christmas season with our four children, their spouses and the grandkids for our annual Christmas party. Our menu always consists of a random assortment of holiday appetizers. One of our favorites is Hot Bacon Cheese Spread. It’s baked in a hollowed-out round loaf of bread and served with crackers and bread chunks. After we eat, we clear the table and play bingo for prizes that I’ve spent the past month shopping for and wrapping. The little kids get to go first; then, after they each have a couple new little toys or treats, we get them settled with a Christmas movie and the adults get down to business. After lots of winning and trading, everyone heads home with lots of fun memories and full stomachs.

Hot Bacon Cheese Spread

1 (16-ounce) round loaf bread, unsliced 1/2 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and

then crumbled 8 ounces shredded Colby/Monterey

jack cheese 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup mayonnaise 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced

Cut a lengthwise slice from the top of the bread loaf. Remove the center portion of the loaf, leaving a 1-inch-thick shell. Cut the removed bread (not the sliced top) into bitesize chunks. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl; spoon mixture into the bread shell. Put the sliced top back on the bread, wrap in foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with bread chunks or crackers. If there is any left, you can cover it and put it in the refrigerator. It reheats very well in a microwave.