Fried Bologna - The West Virginia State Sandwich

by Bruce Watson, Posted Feb 25th 2009 @ 11:00AM

In a recent marketing campaign, Oscar Meyer proclaimed that its "Deli Creations" flatbread sandwiches were "blogworthy."

I beg to differ.

Nobody likes to be manipulated, and I would argue that bloggers like it less than most. There's something about spending a few lonesome hours a day cranking out content that really ups the curmudgeon quotient and makes us a mite persnickety about our production process. While other blogs, including Gawker, might not be too picky about where they get their tips, I tend to get mighty cranky when multimillion dollar corporations tell me what is and is not blogworthy.

With that in mind, here's something that really is blogworthy: fried bologna sandwiches. For anybody who hasn't tried this backwoods delicacy, the concept may sound a little questionable. However, the combination of bologna and heat produces a dish that is incredibly delicious and startlingly different from a basic bologna sandwich.

The traditional ingredients are Oscar Meyer bologna, Wonder Bread, and either Miracle Whip or King's syrup, but I've found that kicking it up a notch yields some serious dividends. First off, when selecting bologna, it is worth your time to explore the selection at your local deli counter. Select the one with the fewest artificial ingredients; in a pinch, Boar's Head is a good choice. Ask the butcher to slice the bologna extra thick. Basically, you want bologna steaks, preferably in the 1/8-1/4-inch range.

For bread, crusty, fresh-baked homestyle loaves really make a great choice. If you want to slice them yourself, go with slabs that are about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Slather them with a blend of horseradish and either mayonnaise or sour cream.

For cooking the bologna, use a non-stick skillet over medium heat. You might want to start with a slight spritz of cooking spray, but the natural grease of the bologna will probably provide sufficient oil. As you fry the bologna, it will pooch up in the middle. To deal with this, make one radial cut from the center to the edge of the bologna. This will enable it to lie flat. If you prefer, you can cut the bologna in half.

Fry on both sides until the bologna darkens and starts to resemble a grill-cooked hot dog. When it is nicely seared, arrange atop the bread slices. Eat while hot. Wash down with Grapico or, if you live in the North, Jarritos sodas. Snicker to yourself about "blogworthy" microwave sandwiches.

Filed Under: Guilty Pleasures
Tags: america, comfort food, featured, Fried Bologna sandwich, FriedBolognaSandwich, frying, guilty pleasures, meat, oddities, Oscar Meyer deli creations, OscarMeyerDeliCreations, sandwiches, West Virginia, WestVirginia

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-25-2009 @2:01PM woostery said... This is an excellent sandwich. I often put a slice on onion on mine.

It also reminds me of a haute cuisine variant which was served in my southern school cafeteria. I believe it was called a "Flying Saucer" and this page confirms my memory:

http://myrecipegarden.blogspot.com/2009/01/flying-saucers.html

Rather than grated cheese we had slices melted on top, and no green "alien" -- though that's a cute touch.

In short: bologna on bottom, mashed taters scooped on top of that, and a slice of cheese melted on top.

Magical!

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2-25-2009 @11:28AM Alex said... Well Bruce, apparently Oscar Myer's is blog worthy, because you just blogged about it. It seems odd to me that you think non-bloggers would tolerate manipulation better than you do. I don't see the correlation.
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2-25-2009 @11:48AM Dr. Electro said... Back in the day when I owned a restaurant, I served grilled bologna and cheese sandwiches.

Texas toast bread - 2 slices
1/4 pound bologna - preferably a single slice
American Cheese - 2 slices

Drop a dollop of butter on the grill, griddle or pan. As it melts, lay the first slice of bread directly on top of it. Top the bread with one slice of the cheese. Place the bologna on the cheese. Add the second cheese slice over the bologna. Nestle it all gently under the second bread. Top that bread with a small dollop of butter. You know how to do the rest of making a grilled cheese.

When the bread is nicely browned and all the butter is soaked up by the bread, your sandwich will be hot all the way through and utterly delicious.

My father was from Oklahoma but he still liked his fried bologna. I think it was the only thing he could actually cook himself unless he was cooking over a campfire.
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2-25-2009 @1:34PM Bruce Watson said... Woostery-
I wonder if my daughter would like the Flying Saucer. Thanks for the tip!

Alex-
Um...yeah. I was kind of poking fun at myself there.

Dr. Electro-
Wow! Butter, fried bologna, cheese... Sounds incredible!
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2-25-2009 @4:32PM Peter Scott said... In honor of the mother of the octuplet's, Denny's is offering a new breakfast meal called the Suleman:

You get fourteen eggs, no sausage, and the guy next to you has to pay the bill.
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2-25-2009 @2:33PM Kathryn said... I've got a copy of the Culinary Arts Institute Encylopedic Cookbook from the 1950s (a national treasure if ever there was one), and one of its thousands of recipes is one for "bologna cups," which is just basically piling some peas on thick-sliced bologna and heating it under the broiler until the bologna curls up around the peas.

My best friend's mom made FBS's when we were growing up, and they were very Midwestern of Swedish decent, so it's not just a southern/WV thing.
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2-26-2009 @12:23AM suzana said... Fried bologna is also good with with fried onions, fried together in the same pan of course, and either topped with ketchup or mustard (amazing with hot mustard)

Mom liked to make FBS as a Sunday quick supper when dinners were eaten in the early afternoon. (we are in NJ)
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2-27-2009 @9:32AM billtron said... Everyone knows that the fried bologna sandwich to be had is from Waldo, Ohio, not West Virginia.
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2-28-2009 @2:08PM edd said... A deep 'X' in the center works good too.

And yes cheese does the bologna good.

Also george foreman works great. I called it my red neck pannini press.

If you can find it the stuff with the red skin that you have to peal off to eat. Maybe that is a midwest thing.
But I will have to try the horseradish next harvest.

And to really screw with your mind try brie and mortadella or worse Pickle loaf and pimento cheese.

Shaved spam and grated pepper jack.

Of course all this with a beer for the adults or ovaltine milk for the kid type persons.
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3-10-2009 @11:13AM Stephan said... Hmmmmm....well, having spent the summers of my youth in northern Tennessee, I can assure you that WV is not the only state that LOVES its bologna sandwiches!!!
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