Nostalgic Delights: Rediscovering Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad
memory lane
So, about 16 years ago, we packed up our stuff and ended up in West Virginia. And let me tell you, I had never even heard of bologna salad before! Like, ham salad was my thing, but bologna salad? Nope, not on my radar. But wouldn't you know it, my husband's fam brought that stuff to every family shindig. So, I got used to it, I guess.
Anyway, a few years back, my mother-in-law passed away (God bless her soul), and my father-in-law, bless his heart, was missing those bologna salad sandwiches like crazy. He actually called me up and asked if I could whip him up a whole batch. Apparently, other family members had brought him sandwiches in the past, but he wanted a dang bowl all to himself. And get this, he was specific about the Miracle Whip – no mayo, just the Whip, 'cause that's how Rose made it. Alrighty then!
Last week, when I was grabbing his groceries, I picked up the stuff I needed and made that man his precious bowl of bologna salad. Now, mind you, I'm no bologna salad expert, but according to him, it was freakin' perfect. Go figure!
You know what's cool though? How every part of our country has its own weird food things going on. Like, me being a Southern gal, I'm all about Southern grub. But traveling for work took me to all these places, and I got to try some wild stuff. When I was in Idaho ages ago, fry sauce and finger steaks stole my heart. Louisiana hooked me up with those juicy crawfish tails and fried oysters. And don't even get me started on New York's garbage pizza – that stuff's legit!
But you know what West Virginia taught me? It was all about them pepperoni rolls, man. First time I had 'em, I was hooked. And I keep hearing about these ramp dinners, which I'm dying to try but haven't had the chance yet. It's like a whole new world of flavors, and I love it!
So, tell me, my friend, what's the go-to food back in your neck of the woods? What's that one dish that screams your state and brings back all those good ol' memories?
Old-Fashioned Bologna Salad recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. bologna
- 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Using a meat grinder or food processor, grind up the bologna.
- In a bowl, combine the ground bologna with sweet pickle relish and Miracle Whip.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover the mixture and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Serve and enjoy!
Note: Feel free to adjust the seasonings according to your taste preferences.
If you love old-fashioned recipes, especially ones involving Bologna, there's also a Fried Bologna recipe you should check out. You can find it here Fried Bologna Sandwiches
I love fried bologna sandwiches with a slice of raw onion and some mustard. My son recently smoked a large roll of bologna which reminded me of fried bologna. We live in AR but I was born in WV.
Hey, thanks for the comment! I'm stoked that you're into fried bologna sandwiches with raw onion and mustard. That combo is the bomb! And it's cool how your son's smoked bologna brought back memories for you. Food has that crazy power,
When I was a young kid going to school my Mom used to make me a bologna salad sandwich for my lunch and with a couple of the small cartons of chocolate milk that were bought at school for a nickle a mighty fine lunch it was. I got so used to that taste combination of bologna salad and chocolate milk together that I still crave it to this very day, and I'm 71.
My mom made this with Miracle Whip also. She also added shredded cheddar cheese, not Velveeta, real cheddar cheese. My son brought home the ingredients for me to make. He is the 3rd generation bologna salad lover in our famuly!
Thank you for sharing your mom Tewist's recipe with us
One of my favorites growing up, too! Or later in life, “sandwich spread” purchased in a tube. Could have been Oscar Meyer. Now it’s nowhere to be found. I prefer it over ham salad. Recently, my married daughter brought me our old grinder that I had given her years ago. Great memories from my youth!
I also make bologna salad but I add hard boiled eggs, along with the pickle relish, mayo or miracle whip ( just depends on what I have at the time). My husband's mother made it with peanut butter added to the mayo and relish. It's not mad. We are from Linton, Indiana. Also grew up with icing and Graham crackers, made them for my family and now make them at church camp.
I love fried bolgona sandwiches....I put the fried bologna on thick, sliced home made bread and top it with lettuce and Miracle Whip. I'm up in Northern Ontario.
I also grew up on this. My school didn't have a cafeteria until l was in 7th grade and my mom was a teacher in a school outside of town, so l took my lunch to school most days.. l loved these sandwiches! Still make them occasionally and l am 84 years old now!