Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad
This Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad is a classic favorite to put on a sandwich or on crackers! Made with simple and humble ingredients.
A DELICIOUS CLASSIC RECIPE
When it comes to salads, dips or spreads you really can’t go wrong with the classics. This Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad has been a recipe that my family has been making for decades. It is one of the most simple recipes that you can make and it’s so good! We like to serve it on white bread or with various crackers or in biscuits. People will feel so nostalgic when you make this to serve at lunch, brunch or just because. If you are in the mood for a recipe that will take you back to your childhood, then you need to make my Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad recipe.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You can use the prepackaged bologna like Oscar Meyer. You can use thick or the thinner slices as long as it adds up to 1 1/2 pounds. We won’t be separating the slices individually so you could even pick up a chunk at your deli.
No. If you do not have a food processor that is ok. This can be chopped by hand (which will take a little longer) or you can blend in a blender a little at a time. However you break it down, you want to get it as finely minced as possible.
This is great served in various ways: with crackers (like Ritz Crackers), on rolls, as a sandwich or even wrapped in tortillas and made into pinwheels. Serve it in the same way you would serve ham salad.
No, this is an optional ingredient. You can use dill pickle relish as well or you can leave it out completely.
This Bologna Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it should keep for up to 4-5 days. I do not recommend freezing as the mayonnaise in the salad tends to separate when you go to defrost it.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- bologna
- hard-boiled egg
- celery and onion – I use a food processor for these as I think it chops it up finely which is important to the texture. I don’t like to bite into big chunks of celery or onion.
- sweet pickle relish – you can make your own Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish or if you don’t like the sweet relish, you can use Dill Pickle Relish (or leave it out altogether if you don’t enjoy it.
- mayonnaise – I do not like Miracle Whip so I would never make it with that. However, if that is your thing then go for it.
- yellow mustard – this does not add a strong tangy flavor at all. It adds to the overall background flavor.
- salt and pepper – salt and pepper to your tastes.
HOW TO MAKE BOLOGNA SALAD
Put the bologna, egg, celery and onion into a blender or food processor (season with a bit of fresh black pepper)
Pulse (short, quick pulses) a few times times to mince. You can make this as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. Scrape down the sides of the food processor every 10 pulses to make sure it all gets combined evenly.
Combine relish, mayonnaise and mustard into a separate bowl.
Then stir in minced bologna mixture.
Cover and chill. I prefer to chill it for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while.
Serve on rolls, biscuits or as a spread for crackers!
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bologna, unseparated and cut into chunks
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish optional
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- assorted crackers, soft rolls or bread
Instructions
- Put the 1 ½ pounds bologna, unseparated and cut into chunks, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped and 2 teaspoons finely chopped onion into a blender or food processor. Place lid on food processor and lock in place.
- Pulse (short, quick pulses) a few times times to mince. You can make this as chunky or as smooth as you prefer. Scrape down the sides of the food processor every 10 pulses to make sure it all gets combined evenly.
- Combine 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish, ¾ cup mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon yellow mustard into a separate medium sized bowl,
- Then stir in minced bologna mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste .
- Cover and chill. I prefer to chill it for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while.
- Serve on assorted crackers, soft rolls or bread.
Video
Notes
- Nutritional value does not include crackers, rolls or bread it is for salad only.
- The relish is optional or you can use dill pickle relish.
- For an easy option, go up to your grocery store’s deli counter and ask for a 1 1/2 pound block of bologna.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Have you TRIED Miracle Whip? I don’t mean a tiny taste from the jar on the end of a spoon, I mean in salads such as this, on sandwiches etc. You can also make your own Miracle Whip so you’d control the ingredients. NEVER say NEVER.
Of course I have, that is why I say definitively I can’t stand it lol. It is so tangy and artificial tasting to me but to each his own, right? I don’t judge other peoples love for it 🙂
Excellent, excellent. Tastes just like my Moms did. Never had a recipe as no one had recipes back in the day and it made me sad that I could never make it exactly like hers. So THANK YOU for providing measurements so that I can once again taste what she used to make!
to answer your question bologna salad goes back to the days of the depression when bologna was a nickel a pound. It was cheaper than ham so poor people could afford it. My mom (aunt) was born in the 1920’s so she would make it instead of ham salad she also put cheese in hers.
I use a meat grinder attachment on my Kitchenaid Mixer. By choosing the right plate you can control the texture and not over mince the ingredients.
I have looked for this recipe for years. My mother made this when I was a kid. She filled hot dog buns, and wrapped 2 buns in Foil and froze. Them for lunches and after school snacks . ..I wil make this and do the. Same.
I don’t eat beef or pork. can I use chicken or turkey bologna?
I personally have never made it any other way. All I can say is to experiment to see how it turns out. Let me know if you try it!
Thank you! I couldn’t remember my mom’s recipe and she didn’t put it in her recipe book before she passed! This is as close to hers is I can get, excellent!
I know nothing is as good as Moms recipe but this makes me so happy to hear – thank you!
I grew up in Pennsylvania and this was available at the deli counter. They called it ground meat. My mother made it quite often. I have never seen it or heard of any one making in in the Midwest, where I live now. I still get a craving for it every now and then.
I hope you love this one Beth!
I live in Illinois, and I know a lot of people that still make it. My husband and I really really like it.
I grew up with this but never had it with egg. Will have to try it out.
My mom remembers her mom making bologna spread (that’s what they called it) with extra hardboiled eggs; that was to stretch out the meat to feed their family of five. They mashed up the bologna with a potato masher.
I grew up eating these sandwiches in the 1940’s during WWII -Mom made the bologna salad us8hg a meat grinder – used Miracle Whip and sweet pickles, no eggs. I was told it was to replace the ham sandwiches because of scarcity of meat during the war. We ate SPAM, too!!!!
Love this recipe. I have made it twice, better the next day and I will continue to make this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
This was so good! Just like I remember my Grandma making!!
I am SOOOO pleased to see this recipe! We seldom had money for all the ingredients when I was growing up but when we did, it was a family fave! I will miss the texture of grinding the bologna in the old meat grinder that clamped onto the table. And a SPECIAL TREAT was when Mom added some Longhorn cheese to the mix! I can even make this KETO by changing up just a couple of things. HURRAY for “regular home cooks” ;-D
Ahh! Another blast from the past favorite that my momma used to make often. She had a meat grinder and would feed the bologna logs through. I always thought she used Miracle Whip since that is all she ever bought and the ONLY way I will consume it. Either way, bologna salad is a childhood favorite and I must try this ASAP. Thanks Brandie!
This recipe is a blast from the past. I am 75-years-old and remember my mother making bologna salad sandwiches seventy years ago. Will definitely make this very soon. Thanks for the memories.
Stupid question here where do you buy bologna in trunks like I see in the video. I’ve only seen it in packages where you can make us a sandwich but not in a chub or trunk if you wanna call it. i’ve seen recipes like this and they all say the buy it in trunks.
My Mother made this often. we loved it. I remember her grinding up bologna rings then added in the rest. yum!
My Grandma Price always had this ready for us to plow through. Such great memories. Add some potato chips and ices tea and that’s good eats!
You can use sliced bologna. Just don’t separate the slices and cut it into chunks to fit into your processor. It breaks it down so that everything chops up easier. Or you can go to the deli at the grocery store and as for a pound and a half chunk of it there.
You can get it in the deli section of most supermarket chains. I prefer German Wonderbar brand at Winn Dixie. It’s the best in my opinion.
In the deli section of grocery store. They will cut it for you.
Your store deli counter has big logs that they usually slice per order. Just ask them to cut a chunk and weigh it, rather than slicing it for you. you can cut the chunk as needed for however you are going to mince it at home.
Cheryl,
Chunk, not trunk. lol. I use sliced……all the same. Exact same ingredients.
Joanie……..old memory and great one TOO!!
You can buy large sections of it at deli counters at grocery stores.
You used to be able to buy it (and maybe still can) at the meat market. Was called trail bologna. You just asked for a hunk instead of sliced.
You can still buy it that way at supermarkets. Mom always cut it into logs and used a meat grinder ( which I still use) hooked to counter top! So good.
Ask for it in a hunk at meat department or at a meat market
This was so good and brought back so many memories of my childhood in the 50’s. I almost think this is better than I remember it because my Mom used Miracle Whip and this was much better with the mayonnaise.
I use bread and butter pickles in mine it’s delicious!
Try the sugar free midget pickles…so delicious!
I use to love bologna but now they put processed chicken yuck in it. I wish they would bring back the good pork/beef bologna. I would love to make this wonderful salad. If you know of a brand or two and where I can find it I would appreciate knowing.
Have you checked the deli?
This was delicious. Tasted exactly like my Mee Maws!
I ate a lot of this growing up. I love it.
I’m 72 and there were 6 kids. We called it ham salad. Mom had a grinder that attached to the table and would grind it by hand until I got old enough to do it. I was actually thinking about making this a week ago since I haven’t eaten for years. Thank you for reminding me. I want my Grandsons to taste this. Happy memories.
Oh! My! Goodness! My grandmother gave me the recipe for this spread so many years ago. I have made it often but had forgotten about it until I came across this website. Grandma passed away eight years ago and I am almost seventy but this recipe is an ongoing favorite.
Nothing makes me happier than when a recipe sparks a special memory. The best part of sharing recipes, for me, is to hear about those special connections! I think memories can definitely live on in the food we make!
This is one of life’s simple, delightful and delicious pleasures! Enjoy. I knew a lady who chopped all her ingredients by hand and it was just as good!
Years ago I used to make another recipe for this but haven’t for ages…..don’t know where the recipe is… so I made this and we loved i!. I did add quite a bit more sweet pickle relish because two teaspoons would have been lost in all that ground meat, and I wanted to taste the sweetness. Other than that I followed your instructions to the !etter. Hubby is doing low carb, and this was perfect for that eaten on keto bread…even the pickle relish only had forty grams of carbs for one fourth cup…given how much it makes, that’s not much per serving.
That is so wonderful to hear Vicki! Thank you so much! I understand the pickle relish debate. LOL. One half of my family loves it and the other half of the family absolutely hate it. So most times I end up making two batches – one with and one without. Who knew pickle relish was such a love/hate food?! Ha! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Oh my gosh… this brings back memories ! One day my husband was telling me about this sandwich spread that his mother made all the time and could I make some.. at that time I had a hand grinder that attached to the countertop, a big block of cheese & a big chub of bologna.. kids loved to help, ours was a little different, no egg and we added cheese. My kids still just love this.. now & then still ask for it and they’re over 50… I’ve made so many variations of this over the years, you just can’t mess it up.. don’t let the word bologna scare you off. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Oh I love your memories! Thank you for sharing!
This sounds delicious. I look forward to trying it one day. Maybe use garlic bologna? Thanks for sharing.
Oh I never thought of that! If you try it, be sure to come back and let me know!
I make bologna salad and everyone loves it. I have the electric appliances, but sometimes just don’t want to set them up or wash all that afterwards. A simpletool that works wonders ismy potato ricer.. Don’t overloadiit andthe soft bolognagoes through easily andmakes a nice texture. It works for the boiled eggs and cheese if desired,. too.
That is a brilliant idea!
One of my all time favorites! I use to work in a deli and we would make both ham salad and what we called sandwich spread because it had ends of bologna, olive loaf, pickle loaf, chopped ham, etc in it. Love it on toast as a sandwich.
I always thought sandwich spread was gross. All the meat butts tossed in a bowl and ground up. I love all meat bologna homemade spread though.