Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius / 355 degrees fahrenheit (fan-forced) or equivalent.
Slice the top off the cob loaf, about 4cm from the top, and cut into pieces (these will be used to dip into the cheesy mixture).
Cut out the centre of the loaf (using a knife and then your hands), leaving a bread "bowl". Tear or roughly chop the inside bread into pieces.
Place pieces of bread from top and inside of cob loaf into heating oven for 10 minutes to toast.
Make the dip by adding olive oil to a frying pan and cooking the onion and ham/bacon/spinach for a few minutes over medium heat.
Add the white wine and cook for 30 seconds.
Add sour and thickened creams (and french onion soup for spinach and cheese cob loaf) and heat for one minute over low heat.
Add the cream cheese and 1 cup of the grated cheese and and stir until mixture is smooth.
Add ⅔ of the chives (for ham or bacon cob loaf) and stir through.
Pour mixture into bread bowl. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese on top.
Place into oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining chives on top (for ham or bacon cob loaf).
Serve with toasted bread pieces.