25 Bologna Recipes for Dinner - Good Recipe Ideas (2024)

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If bologna makes you think of the cold deli sandwiches you used to get for school lunches, you’re missing out on all the potential of this tasty ingredient! From bologna potato salad to bologna fried rice and fried bologna quesadillas to bologna stew, you’d be amazed just how many delicious bologna recipes there are to try. Get ready to see this sliced deli meat in a whole new light!

Ever Wondered What to Do with Bologna?

Wondering if there are more ways to enjoy bologna than cold deli sandwiches that remind you of cafeteria lunches as a kid? A quick peek at this list of bologna recipes will prove that there are so many more ways to use this versatile and delicious sausage!

What is bologna?

Bologna, sometimes spelled baloney, comes to us from the Italian city bearing the same name. The original version was made with finely ground pork and gets its distinctive flavor from nutmeg, allspice, celery seed, coriander, and myrtle berries.

In the US, bologna can be made from a variety of meats and must be very finely ground, giving us the slices we recognize today. While undeniably delicious as part of a sandwich, you can also make bologna sliders, bologna potato salad, fried bologna quesadillas, and so much more! Read on for delicious inspiration.

Bologna Salad Recipes

1. Bologna Salad Recipe

If your Grandma ever made this delightful dish, then you’re in for a nostalgic treat! Mix together bologna, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and mayonnaise, then serve over bread or with your favorite dippers.

2. Bologna Potato Salad

This Bulgarian twist on an Oliver Russian Salad is made with diced potatoes, carrots, pickles, eggs, peas, and your choice of ham, bologna, or salami. Toss it all in a creamy dressing made with mayo and enjoy!

3. Bavarian Wurst Salad

This easy summer recipe is made with sliced ring bologna, cheese, and pickles for a popular beer garden dish that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Garnish with some fresh parsley for a pop of color and dig in.

Bologna Sandwich Recipes to Try

4. Fried Bologna Sandwich

Forget about cold bologna sandwiches on white bread! Fried bologna sandwiches have lightly crisp bologna, beer cheese, and jalapeños are stuffed inside a soft brioche roll for a unique and flavorful twist on a classic.

5. Bologna Sliders

Get ready for the perfect party food! Fried bologna, melty American cheese, and a zesty pickle sauce piled high between sweet slider rolls can be enjoyed hot out of the oven or at room temperature for the ultimate game day snack.

6. Grilled Bologna Burgers

Also known as Waldo Burgers, these delicious handhelds pack thick slices of bologna grilled until crispy on a soft bun, then top with cheese and pickles. This bologna sandwich recipe is a regional dish that you just have to try!

7. Bologna Breakfast Sandwich

What could be better than starting the day with a thick slab of Lebanon bologna, aged cheddar cheese, and a fried egg with dill mayonnaise on toasted wheat bread? Best of all, this hearty dish is ready in about 10 minutes!

8. Bologna Grilled Cheese

Sometimes, simple comfort food is all you need. Bologna and pepperjack cheese stuffed inside white bread slathered with butter and fried to perfection is the kind of nostalgic recipe you’ll want to make again and again.

9. Bologna Squiggles

When you’re looking for a fun, kid-friendly meal, bologna squiggles are hard to beat! Simply slice the bologna into thin strips, spread Miracle Whip dressing onto a hot dog bun, add pickle slices and bologna squiggles, and enjoy!

10. Bologna Breakfast Sandwich

Fried bologna, tomatoes, and cheese on top of an egg-in-the-hole sandwich is the breakfast of your dreams! It’s a quick weekend brunch dish that does a great job highlighting each of its simple ingredients.

Bologna Recipes for Dinner

11. Smoked Bologna

You’ll be amazed how simple it is to make super flavorful smoked bologna! Plan for about 3-4 hours of smoke time to help you get that irresistible smoky flavor without drying out the bologna.

12. Air Fryer Bologna

Give your classic bologna sandwich an upgrade by frying the meat in the air fryer! Each slice turns out hot and slightly crispy for the perfect addition to any sandwich or breakfast plate.

13. Grilled Bologna

It’s like a BLT, but with bologna instead of bacon and a slice of cheese on top! Don’t forget to throw the buns on the grill as well to really maximize the flavor of this simple yet delicious sandwich.

14. Crockpot Ring Bologna

Ring bologna is thinner than standard deli bologna and cooks up just like any other sausage. By making it in the crockpot, you can add the sauerkraut right on top for a one-pot dish the whole family is sure to love!

15. Bologna Fried Rice

In need of a fridge or freezer clean-out? This leftover recipe uses up rice, ring bologna, and sweet corn, although you’re welcome to use any other ingredients you have on hand. It’s great for an easy weeknight meal!

16. Fried Bologna Quesadilla

This combination of scrambled eggs, fried bologna, and cheese stuffed inside a hot tortilla with some Mexi Ranch for dipping is so delicious, you might find yourself whipping it up for more than just breakfast!

17. Burnt Bologna Ends

These hearty bites are double smoked until pillowy tender and slathered in a buttery barbecue sauce for an inexpensive dish that tastes like a million bucks!

18. Bologna Casserole

Elbow macaroni, a can of diced tomatoes, green bell pepper, and diced bologna come together for a hearty meal the whole family will love. Serve this dinner recipe with some Texas Pete Hot Sauce and enjoy!

19. Bologna Bowl

You’re going to love this 5-ingredient retro-inspired breakfast bowl! Just line a microwave-safe dish with slices of bologna, lay cheese right in the middle, crack an egg on top, and cook in the microwave for about 45 seconds. It’s so easy!

20. Bologna Stew

For a no-fuss slow-cooker recipe, you have to try this lovely stew made with bologna, potatoes, vegetables, ketchup, and Worcestershire. It’s a quick and easy recipe that’s great for busy weeknights!

21. French Poodles

This is the kind of recipe that kids and adults alike will go crazy for! Skewers of bologna dipped in a batter of flour and cornmeal are deep-fried to golden perfection, then served with Sauce Américaine, mustard, and mayo.

Entertaining Recipes with Bologna

22. Bologna Cake

Don’t let the name fool you! This traditional Southern dish is a savory appetizer you’ll often find at potlucks and family gatherings. Best of all, you only need 3 simple ingredients plus some optional cheese whiz for garnish!

23. Bologna Spread

Also referred to as Monkey Meat by Shawn of I Wash You Dry and her family, this combination of bologna, dill pickles, and a little bit of mayo can serve as a delicious sandwich spread or a dip to serve with crackers!

24. Bologna Roll Ups

Looking for an easy appetizer or weekend snack? Mix together cream cheese and cheddar cheese, wrap it up in a bologna slice with 2 pickles, and enjoy! For a fun twist, try adding Ranch or taco seasoning to the cream cheese mixture.

25. Bologna And Cheese Roll Ups

String cheese sticks are wrapped up in bologna slices and then baked inside Pillsbury™ crescent rolls for a hearty, flaky, irresistible meal that can be ready in just 30 minutes!

Recipes with Bologna FAQs

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