13 Creative Ways To Upgrade Your Bologna Sandwich

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Th bologna sandwich is an American lunch mainstay that has fed countless children and adults, especially during long summer days. I know that, personally, I have fond memories of eating bologna sandwiches and a bag of chips with Kool-Aid on the back porch growing up — it was my mother's go-to lunch when we'd been playing in the sprinklers or pool and were too wet to come inside. Nostalgia aside, these sandwiches are generally affordable, delicious, and simple. But just because bologna sandwiches are simple doesn't mean they have to be ordinary. There are countless ways to upgrade this classic meal.

During my more than 15 years working in the food industry, I made some interesting bologna sandwiches and was inspired to create even more imaginative offerings at home — the best part of this was that my cross-training in hot foods and bakeries is perfectly geared towards sandwiches. And, now I'm going to share those ideas with you so you can upgrade lunchtime for the whole family. Let's get into it.

Turn your standard bologna sandwich into a warm, creamy grilled cheese with minimal extra time. Start by layering one or two pieces of bologna (depending on your preference) between four slices of cheese. You'll want two pieces of cheese on either piece of the bread to make sure there's plenty in every bite. Butter your bread or spray the pan with your favorite cooking spray, then grill for a few minutes. You'll know the sandwich is ready when both sides of the bread are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

While American cheese is the standard for bologna sandwiches, you don't have to stick with the status quo. Consider using pepper jack instead for a spicy kick, or opt for cheddar if you want your sandwich to be richer and creamier. Colby jack cheese can lend your bologna a mild flavor with nutty tones and the slightest hint of tang. Or, get fancy and use gouda for a mild yet complex taste. There's no wrong answers here so feel free to experiment!

If you grew up in the Southern United States, you're probably already familiar with fried bologna sandwiches. Frying the bologna alters the meat's taste and texture in the best way. Raw bologna tends to have a soft texture and mild taste not dissimilar to boiled hot dogs — which isn't bad, despite the description. But, frying it creates a crispy texture with a taste similar to grilled hot dogs, which shakes things up a bit.

Before frying the bologna, you'll want to make four crosswise cuts on the very outer edges of the meat as this prevents the edges from cupping upwards during the shrinking that naturally happens during cooking. You can choose to toast your bread or leave it as-is, depending on your preference. I personally enjoy adding a single slice of American cheese and light mayo to my fried bologna sandwiches. If I'm feeling really fancy, I might add a few very thin slices of tomato and a small squirt of yellow mustard.

If you were to ask about my favorite way to quickly and easily upgrade any meat or cheese-based sandwich, I'd say typical hoagie toppings. In restaurants, we always just called them "LTO," which is a fun fact if you've ever seen this written across the wrapping of your hoagie or upgraded Philly cheesesteak. This stands for lettuce, tomato, and onion, and these additions are perfect for your bologna sandwich. The best part? You can pick and choose from those if you don't like something (like onions, which can be hit or miss for a lot of people).

You can even experiment with the standard LTO setup to create your own version of a bologna hoagie. For example, you could use different types of lettuce or switch it out entirely for a different green, like spinach, kale, or arugula. Swap your standard red tomatoes out for the green or yellow ones. And, of course, you can experiment with onion types — sweet Vidalia are my favorite for this sandwich (and most other sandwiches).

This is an upgrade I personally use often because the combination is just mouthwatering. Add smashed avocado and medium-thick sliced tomatoes to two pieces of bologna inside two pieces of your favorite bread, lightly covered in mayo. Personally, I like to add a little salt and pepper on top of the avocado before closing the sandwich up, just to help amplify the natural flavors. You could toast this sandwich, but I prefer to keep my bread soft since it aligns with the overall texture of this dish.

The smashed avocado adds a rich, creamy texture to this sandwich that perfectly complements the soft bologna. Meanwhile, the tomato adds sweet, earthy notes that create contrast and taste complexity. Even better, adding these two options can make your classic bologna sandwich a little healthier and more filling. Avocado adds healthy fats and fiber, while the tomato adds lycopene and beta-carotene. It's a win-win all around.

Want an upgraded bologna sandwich that really embraces the flavors of summer? Add barbecue sauce and smoked cheese. To really make this the best, however, you'll want to marinate your bologna in the barbecue sauce, if possible. Do this by placing some slices of bologna in a dish and adding your favorite barbecue sauce on top (with the tiniest bit of water for a runnier consistency). Then, just pop it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. If you don't have time for that, you can coat it and fry it in a pan on medium-low heat while basting the bologna at regular intervals. This way, the barbecue sauce penetrates the meat and doesn't just sit on top.

There are several cheeses you could use, but I especially love smoked cheddar here. It imparts a very smoky, full-bodied cream flavor that really takes center stage. However, smoked gruyere or gouda could also work well, if you prefer. Pair this masterpiece with a bag of barbecue chips and a fresh garden salad — my favorite combination for the salad in this situation is lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. I usually avoid cheese because it feels like too much dairy in the meal.

I love a good kick of spice in most of my meals, from jerk pork belly to spicy chipotle-honey wings and beyond. Of course, what these meals have in common is a robust flavor rather than pure burning. The newest flavorful food that spice enthusiasts need to try? The spicy bologna sandwich.

This heat-packed summer food involves adding a few sliced pickled jalapeños, some pepper jack cheese, and a bit of spicy mustard to your standard bologna sandwich. Personally, I like to toast the bread and get the cheese melty. But, that's personal preference and you don't need to feel obligated to do so — although I do recommend trying it that way at least once. 

If that sounds too hot for you, you could sub the pepper jack for cheddar or Colby jack. This allows you to get some heat but mellow it out a bit. Not a fan of spicy foods at all? That's okay. Apparently, there's a reason some people like spicy food while others don't, and the answer was surprisingly beyond simple personal preference.

Sourdough bread has a mild tangy taste that changes the flavor profile of your sandwich. Although you can eat it as-is, I recommend grilling the sourdough for a warm, deliciously pungent taste that perfectly contrasts the mild umami flavors of your bologna. Plus, this bread is naturally soft in the middle with crisp crusts. Grilling it only enhances these textures.

Homemade sourdough bread is my absolute favorite loaf — although there are plenty of good store-bought options if you prefer something lower maintenance. If you do decide to make the sourdough bread yourself, I highly recommend investing in this Sourdough Starter Kit by Homelux Theory. For less than $40, it contains all the tools you need to get started, including two bread-proofing bowls in different shapes and sizes that can be used for various homemade breads. The only thing it doesn't include are the bread's ingredients, which are usually relatively affordable at any supermarket.

Sweet and salty is a classic combination, and since bologna is salty, it makes sense to pair it with something sweet. You can do this by switching your standard bread out for Hawaiian sweet rolls. Spread salty goat cheese on one side of your bread and drizzle with honey according to your preferences. Add your meat and you've got yourself the perfect bologna sandwich to cure your sweet tooth!

If you have the time, I highly recommend baking your own Hawaiian sweet rolls because they'll be fresher and softer than anything you can find in the store. Although, as a baker, I'd consider creating these rolls to be of medium difficulty, it's really simple once you get the hang of it — and if you've ever made Portuguese Sweet Bread, it's very similar. But, never fear if you don't want to make your own — if you shop at Aldi, you can score yourself a King's Hawaiian Rolls copycat at a fraction of the cost. Just look for L'oven Fresh Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.

Deep frying may be considered unhealthy if you do it too much, but as a Southerner, I can testify that sometimes, you just need to indulge in something greasy and fried. If you have that craving right now, I have great news — a bologna sandwich can cure it for you. Start up your deep fryer and create a sweet batter. Consider using Jiffy cornbread mix for a creative but simple sweet batter that I personally think pairs well with bologna. Make your sandwich like normal with meat and cheese, then dip in the batter and fry it.

Don't have a deep fryer? Elite Gourmet makes a small but affordable countertop option that I adore. For less than $70, you get the option for one large basket or two small in a 4.5-quart fryer well, and the 4.4 rating with thousands of reviews supports my personal love of this appliance. Plus, having a deep fryer means you unlock the ability to make so many more delicious recipes at home!

If you're not a huge fan of bread but want to have a sandwich, consider making it open-faced. An "open-faced" sandwich means one piece of bread with your chosen ingredients on top — you may be familiar with this idea with open-faced hot turkey sandwiches, which is something many people grew up on. This idea works well with any bread, but is especially delicious if you purchase or make fresh bread and cut it into thick slices.

The options for how to create your open-faced bologna sandwich are limitless, but there are two ideas I'm particularly fond of. The first is a fresh, earthy option featuring thick-sliced tomato, micro-greens, sliced red onion, and a light layer of simple chimichurri. I'd recommend serving this on thick slices of sourdough or Italian. The other option is rich and savory, featuring fried bologna, brown gravy, wilted spinach, and mushrooms on Texas Toast or garlic bread. If neither of these appeals to you, feel free to use your imagination!

Chips are commonly eaten beside sandwiches, but if you haven't tried them inside of your sandwich, you're really missing out. They add a nice crunch that creates textural complexity against the soft bread and fillings. Even better, there are countless types of chips you could choose from, each of which can create a unique flavor profile. Start with your favorite chips and then branch out from there — I encourage you to try several chip flavors to see which you best like paired with bologna!

One of my personal favorites is plain potato chips, which add crunch but embrace the overall salty profile of a traditional bologna sandwich. However, cheddar and sour cream potato chips can elevate the creamy, cheesy profiles and bring these to the front — it's the perfect addition for cheese enthusiasts. Barbecue is a classic option that embraces the flavors of summer, while salt and vinegar chips add a distinct tang perfect for those who enjoy a sour flavor profile.

There's no rule that says bologna sandwiches must be eaten for lunch. With the right ingredients, you can make the perfect breakfast bologna sandwich that's affordable, delicious, and simple. For this, you'll start with fried bologna. Then, you'll want to layer that on bread with eggs and cheese. And, voila! The perfect bologna sandwich for the first meal of the day.

Within these basic ingredients, there's a lot of room for customization. For starters, I encourage you to experiment with different breakfast breads — croissants, English muffins, bagels, and even French toast are all excellent options. You can choose from scrambled eggs for easier eating, or an over-easy egg for a rich, gooey sandwich. The cheese options are limitless, but I particularly like sharp cheddar or provolone here. If you're a meat lover who's looking for a rich, umami profile in your breakfast sandwich, add a few slices of bacon on top of the bologna.

A club sandwich features three pieces of bread instead of two. Generally, it also includes bacon and double layers of your chosen ingredients. To make your club, layer the following ingredients in this order: bread, bologna, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread, tomato, lettuce, bacon, cheese, bologna, bread. Generously coat each bread with mayo (and mustard, if you like), and make sure to do both sides of the interior bread slice. The end result is a culinary masterpiece designed specifically for bread enthusiasts!

To keep your bologna club sandwich together, you'll need to use picks. These standard sandwich frill picks are an acceptable option that closely resembles what we'd use in restaurants. However, if you want something unique and more eco-friendly, I'd highly suggest these cute bee reusable stainless steel picks. They're less than $8 for five and can be reused nearly indefinitely, making them not only environmentally friendly but also budget-friendly.