Our family will use any excuse for a celebration.  Halloween is always an enjoyable evening filled with fun and laughter.  Everyone contributes with food and fantasy.  I am continuously amazed at the creativity of even the youngest child.  My granddaughter wanted to be “Cousin It” from the television show “The Addams Family.”  The problem with all that imagination is mom has to do the actual sewing and shopping!  After trick or treating through the immediate neighborhood, everyone will tumble onto a truck pulled trailer for a hay-ride and continued petitioning of treats.

Of course celebration and food are synonymous.  The first question often asked after an invitation is “What would you like for me to bring?”   The Snake Bite Sandwich was my choice after seeing the Food Network chef, Paula Deen, create it on her show.  I prepared one and you can too.  Go ahead and take all the credit…we won’t tell!

Snake Bite Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 can crescent rolls
• Flour, for dusting
• 4 tablespoons spicy mustard
• 10 ounces thinly sliced ham
• 10 ounces thinly sliced salami
• 10 ounces turkey (feel free to use your favourite good quality luncheon meats)
• 12 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
• Liquid food coloring
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 whole cloves
• Toothpicks
• 2 small pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1 (1-inch) strips jarred roasted red peppers

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with foil. Grease the foil and set aside or use a silicone pad.

Dust a flat surface lightly with flour. Spread out the crescent dough — do not separate. Pinch together the seams so that you have 1 piece of dough. Roll out to make a large rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the surface at all.

Brush the dough with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer the meats down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on either end.

Top the meats with the cheese. Fold 1 side of the dough over the filling, lengthwise. Then, fold the other side over the top and press to seal the filling inside. Take 1 egg yolk, and beat lightly with a fork. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the dough. The yolk will act as the glue to hold. Fold the entire dough in half lengthwise. Pinch the seam with your fingers to seal. Press the outside of the dough to make sure everything is sealed tight and to make an even thickness for the body of your snake. Taper 1 end of the dough to form a tail shape. Form the other end into a head shape.

Beat the 2 remaining egg yolks together. Transfer to 3 separate small bowls. Add some food coloring to each bowl — whatever colors you like! Using a clean paintbrush, “paint” the snake with the egg yolk/food coloring mixture.

Transfer the snake to the foil lined sheet tray. Form into an “S” shape so it looks like a slithering snake. Insert 2 cloves into the head to look like nostrils and 2 stuffed olives for eyes. Create a tongue with the roasted red peppers. Bake the snake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.