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Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad (+Video)

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.

Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad on bread with split hard boiled egg in front.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What kind of bologna should I use?

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.

Do I have to use a food processor?

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.

How do I serve Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad?

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.

Do I have to use sweet pickle relish?

No, this is an optional ingredient. You can use dill pickle relish as well or you can leave it out completely.

Where did bologna salad originate?

Nobody actually knows where bologna salad originated. It is hypothesized by several food experts that it is simply a copycat of an old favorite: ham salad. Perhaps a 1950’s housewife ran out of ham but she had bologna so she made due with what she had. We may never know but I’m glad someone thought of it!

Can you freeze bologna salad?

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.

Pinterest image of Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad in bowl with crackers and hard boiled eggs.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

  • bologna
  • hard-boiled egg
  • celery
  • onion
  • sweet pickle relish (optional)
  • mayonnaise
  • prepared mustard
  • salt
  • pepper
  • assorted crackers, soft rolls or bread
Ingredients needed: bologna, hard-boiled egg, celery, onion, sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise, prepared mustard, salt, pepper and assorted crackers soft rolls or bread.

HOW TO MAKE OLD-FASHIONED BOLOGNA SALAD:

Put the bologna, egg, celery and onion into a blender or food processor (season with a bit of fresh black pepper)

Bologna, egg, celery and onion in food processor.

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.

Blended up bologna mixture in food processor.

Combine relish, mayonnaise and mustard into a separate bowl.

Relish, mayonnaise and mustard whisked together in large white bowl.

Then stir in minced bologna mixture.

Bologna mixture blended into mayonnaise mixture in bowl.

Cover and chill. I prefer to chill it for several hours. It definitely gets better as it chills for a while.

Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad in bowl with hand dipping a cracker into salad.

Serve on rolls, biscuits or as a spread for crackers!

Stacked Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad on bread split in half with chips and hard boiled egg.

WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?

Square image of Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad in bowl with split hard boiled egg.

Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad (+Video)

This Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad is a classic favorite to put on a sandwich or on crackers! Made with simple and humble ingredients.
5 from 40 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Chill:: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10

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

YouTube 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. 
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad, Sandwiches
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Sodium: 794mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g

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.

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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.

      1. 5 stars
        My Mother made this often. we loved it. I remember her grinding up bologna rings then added in the rest. yum!

      2. 5 stars
        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!

      3. 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.

      4. 5 stars
        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.

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 5 stars
    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.

  5. 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.

    1. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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!

  8. 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.

  9. 5 stars
    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.

  10. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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.