Ham and Cheese Loaf

Ingredients

1 loaf unsliced Italian bread
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped parsley
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large dill pickle
8 slices boiled ham (8 ounces)

Preparation

Split bread lengthwise and hollow out each half, leaving about a 1/2 inch thick shell. Reserve crumbs for a future use. Spread mayonnaise over hollow in loaf and sprinkle parsley over the mayonnaise. Blend cream cheese, celery, Cheddar cheese, onion and salt together. Spoon into bread halves, packing down well with the back of a spoon and leaving a narrow groove down the center. Quarter pickle lengthwise; roll each quarter inside a double-thick slice of ham. Place ham rolls end-to-end in groove in bottom half of loaf; cover with remaining half of bread. Wrap loaf tightly in transparent wrap and chill several hours before serving. Slice for individual servings.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Special note: we no longer distribute eggs or margarine, but have left the recipes as originally printed to maintain their integrity.