SPIDER DIP BOWL RECIPES

Steps:

• *The night before, wrap frozen loaves tightly in plastic wrap and thaw in fridge overnight. Next day: Form one loaf into a round ball. Place on a large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. With other loaf, cut off end and form a small round ball (about one eighth of loaf) and place above body making the head. Horizontally, slice remaining dough into 8 strips and roll into ropes for legs. Place under head and upper body. Place raisins on head for eyes, making into a spider! *You can also add these after baking if preferred, or use red decorating gel, red peppercorns or even sliced olives for eyes, also adding on after baking. Sometimes the raisins fall off during baking, or end up in an odd place! Brush with melted butter and cover with plastic wrap coated with non-stick spray. Allow to double in size. (About 2=3 hours.)Remove wrap, brush with eggwash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbl. water), and bake in 350º oven for 25-30 minutes. Or til golden brown. Allow to cool on rack. Slice off top of body in a circle, and hollow out making a "bowl" for the dip. Line with lettuce (if desired)and spoon in your favorite dip such as salsa, melted cheese/nacho cheese dip, spinach or onion dip,etc., whatever you want. Surround with chips, crackers, mini pumpkins and gourds, plastic spiders, halloween cookies, just have fun! *If you want the spider's legs to point/bend up in the middle, just place a small ball of foil under center of each leg during rising and baking! :)

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, Cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, butter, salsa and some salt and pepper and beat until smooth. Alternatively, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a spoon. Reserve 1/3 cup of the dip and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Make 2 balls with the remaining dip, one twice as big as the other, wrap in plastic, and shape into balls. Refrigerate all three portions of the cheese until hardened and cold, 2 to 3 hours.
• Unwrap the two balls and coat in the crushed tortilla chips. Place on a platter directly next to each other and make eyes in the smaller ball with 2 olives. To make the legs, arrange 8 green beans to stick out of the "spider's" side, then place a small ball made out of the reserved 1/3 cup dip on the end of each bean and connect another bean to each ball to make long legs.
• Serve with vegetables, crackers or tortilla chips.