Bologna Salad

Making Old-Fashioned BOLOGNA SALAD ♥♥

Does anyone still make bologna salad? My grandma used to grind a chunk of bologna and mix in some mayonnaise and sweet relish.

I hadn’t had it in years and made some last week!

This quick bologna salad recipe is pure, simple nostalgia. It reminds me of childhood lunches and summer picnics.

Bologna salad has been a staple in American kitchens for decades, it’s a potluck hero. It’s a sandwich shop classic, right up there with pimento cheese. It really comes from that resourceful “waste not, want not” tradition. It’s about using simple on-hand ingredients to make something truly satisfying.

The flavor is a great balance. You get the salty, savory taste from the bologna. The hard-boiled eggs add richness, and a smooth creamy texture.

And then there’s the sweet pickle relish. If you don’t keep some in you fridge, it’s worth picking up a jar, just for this salad. It has a nice tangy kick. Add the mayonnaise and you’ve got everything lined up for a delicious lunch that’s as rich with nostalgia as it is with flavor.

It’s a superb lunch salad but it’s just as popular for a snack. Like for a casual get-together or feeding a hungry crew of Sunday football fans. I’ve brought this to cookouts and afternoons at the lake, and it’s always one of the first dishes to get gobbled up. People gather around it with crackers and act like it’s a rare delicacy (most of them have never had it before, or even heard of it!).

This is one of the best bologna salad recipe options because it’s so fast. You get all that classic flavor with zero fuss. It’s a true family friendly bologna salad. Just honest, good food. Add this to your cold-salad rotation for quick summer lunches or snacks.

This isn’t a fancy cold salad like you’ll find at a tea party. Bologna salad is a hardworking 4-ingredient wonder that works as hard as the people who first started eating it back in the day. And it’s an easy bologna salad for beginners. Anyone can make this.

A classic savory spread that tastes just like it did when you were sitting at your grandma’s kitchen table.

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It uses only four simple ingredients.
• A simple bologna salad meal for busy weeknights.
• It’s incredibly fast to put together.
• You can make it ahead of time for even quicker lunches.
• Great for using up leftover boiled eggs.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Bologna is the star here. Any good-quality all-beef or classic bologna works well. I prefer a thicker cut of bologna from the deli counter, it gives the salad its texture. You could even use turkey bologna if you prefer.
• Hard-boiled eggs make it creamy, and adds some extra protein and bulk. They really make it feel like a “salad.” But you can leave the eggs out if your family doesn’t like them in a salad. The texture will be slightly different. If you do use them, make sure they’re hard boiled before you chop them up.
• Sweet pickle relish brings the tangy-sweet kick we crave from a cold deli salad. If you only have dill pickle relish, that works. The flavor will just be more savory and less traditional. You could also finely chop your own sweet pickles or even bread and butter pickles.
• Mayonnaise is the secret to bring everything together. Use whichever brand you like. If my grandma didn’t have Hellman’s she used Miracle Whip. For a healthy bologna salad version, you can half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt. This gives you some more protein, and cuts down on fat, without changing the flavor too much. Or use light mayonnaise. At my house, we can’t even tell the difference. Some folks like a tangier salad and use Miracle Whip. That works too.

How to Make Bologna Salad

Step 1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, pulse until well blended into a texture similar to pate. Be sure bologna and boiled eggs are roughly chopped first. This helps them break down evenly. Pulsing is key here. Don’t just turn it on and walk away. You want to control the texture. Pulse just a few times for a chunkier salad. Pulse more for that smooth, classic spreadable pate.

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Step 2. Serve on top of bread, or with your choice of crackers, vegetables, or other items for dipping. You can scoop it right from the food processor bowl into your serving dish. This salad is fantastic spread between two slices of simple white bread. You can also serve it up in a bowl with a tray of buttery crackers and veggie sticks. Cucumbers, celery sticks, etc…

Enjoy!

Tips for Success

• Chill your bologna salad before you serve it. It just tastes so much better after the flavors have had at least 30 minutes to meld all together in the fridge.
• Don’t over-do it with the food processor. Use the pulse button just until it reaches the texture you want. Going too heavy with the pulse can make it mushy.
• If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop everything by hand until it’s finely minced. A good sharp knife and some patience will get you there. A box grater also works for the bologna and eggs.
• Taste and adjust. You might like a little more relish for sweetness, or a bit more mayo for creaminess. Feel free to add a pinch of black pepper too.

Storage & Reheating

Store your bologna salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

It will stay fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. I find it actually tastes even better on day two. All the flavors from the relish and bologna get a chance to really mix together.

This isn’t a freezer-friendly dish. Mayonnaise and hard-boiled eggs don’t freeze well at all. The texture will become watery and unpleasant after thawing. The mayo will separate. This is one you need to plan to serve fresh or as leftovers.

Serving Suggestions

The classic way to serve this is as a sandwich on soft white bread.

It’s also great with a variety of crackers. Plain old saltine crackers are perfect for eating with bologna salad. Buttery crackers like Ritz (or any brand) are great with most cold salads, this one too. You could also use wheat crackers if you like hearty crackers like the guys in my family do.

For a lighter lunch, or quick afternoon snack, use it as a dip for celery sticks and bell pepper strips. Toss in some cucumber slices and you’ve got a feast! This is one of our favorite homemade bologna salad ideas.

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Bologna Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

3.75 from 8 votes

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. Bologna chopped into pieces
• 4 Large hard-boiled eggs chopped
• ⅓ C. Sweet pickle relish
• ¼ C. Mayonnaise

Instructions

• Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender, and pulse until well blended into a pate-type texture.
• Serve on top of bread, or with your choice of crackers, vegetables, or other items for dipping.

Author: Laura