A Delicious Bologna Sandwich: A Taste of Childhood and Grown-Up Elegance

As I stood at my kitchen counter, surveying the ingredients laid out before me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. It was time to make one of my favorite childhood sandwiches, elevated to new heights as an adult. My focus was on creating a bologna sandwich that would satisfy both kids and adults alike.

First, I reached for the butter - yes, good old-fashioned American butter - knowing that it played a crucial role in bringing out the flavors of this beloved meat. As I applied a generous amount to one side of the bread, I couldn't help but think about how much my perception of bologna had evolved over time. Gone were the days of simple, unadorned sandwiches featuring just plain old bologna and white bread. No, today's version was a far cry from that humble beginning.

I sliced the bologna into thin strips, careful not to press down too hard as I did so. This, after all, was key to preventing the meat from becoming mushy and unappetizing. As I worked, I pondered the evolution of the bologna sandwich. What had once been a straightforward combination of ingredients had given way to an array of choices and creative interpretations.

Now, it's not uncommon for people to top their sandwiches with everything from mayonnaise to cheese - American, of course, being my personal favorite. The addition of melted cheese added a richness and depth that elevated this humble sandwich to new heights. I couldn't help but think about the countless variations that could be achieved by experimenting with different toppings.

My focus, however, was on perfecting the art of creating a pull-apart sandwich. This involved slicing the bologna into thin strips, separating them from each other just enough so that when pulled apart, they revealed their tender texture and flavorful goodness. I sliced it the adult version way - thicker, more generous slices that allowed for maximum flavor and texture.

As I worked on my masterpiece, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the simple pleasures in life. A good bologna sandwich brought people together, evoking memories of childhood summers and family gatherings. And yet, there was something special about creating this adult version - it felt like a tribute to those early days spent playing with food, experimenting with flavors and textures.

The final product, I must say, exceeded even my own expectations. The combination of flavors and textures was truly exceptional, a testament to the power of creativity and experimentation in the kitchen. As I sliced into the sandwich, releasing the aromatic scents of bologna and cheese, I knew that this was something special - a true masterpiece.

The response from those who gathered around the table was overwhelmingly positive. Children clapped with glee at the sight of the sandwiches, their eyes lighting up with excitement. Adults, too, were won over by the simplicity and elegance of this beloved dish. It was clear that the key to creating such a dish lay in its ability to bring people together - whether it be through memories of childhood or the simple pleasure of sharing a meal with friends and family.

In the end, my bologna sandwich became more than just a meal - it was an experience, a celebration of the joy that can be found in even the simplest of pleasures. As I looked out at those who had gathered to enjoy this humble dish, I knew that it was worth sharing - worth spreading the love and bringing people together through the power of food.

In a world where meals often seem like an afterthought, it's refreshing to see something as simple yet satisfying as a bologna sandwich bring us all together. This is more than just a meal; it's an experience - one that we can all enjoy, regardless of age or background. And so I say, let us cherish these moments, these small pleasures in life that remind us why we're here.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey thank you all for stopping by here you know I got to thinking and this would be a great day to relive all them childhood memories about the best sandwich you ever had in your life the classic bologna sandwich even better part smoked part fried got all the goodness thrown in together hey thank y'all for stopping by Camp the Lord has blessed us with cloudy cool weather I love it I mean this is one of the perfect film days may get a little Breezy before it's over but we have that great curtain of clouds there that blocks it out but what are we talking about today the ever popular oh so famous bologna sandwich now I remember when we was little and we eat them ever since I can remember having one tooth I mean that's what was on the table was a bologna sandwich my daddy called it red Rhine steak but so many people go to the store now and what do they do they reach in their pocket and they pull out some bologna yes but folks look what this says made with beef pork and chicken how did they get all them animals in this little package but I want to show you something here this is what amazes me with baloney today if you drain the water off of it is see this how thin this is let's just do some comparing when you go buy bologna don't buy this stuff don't buy the stuff in the package go to the deli section of the store and tell them I want some bologna but I do not want the baloney whoa sliced here I want the bologna sliced here now is yours uh all beef or is it this is a all beef bologna folks I'm not even going to go into what end is all in a piece of baloney but it is pure 100 beef that's all I'm going to tell you ask that lady behind the deli counter go over there there's got them big loaves of Bologna okay tell her now sir I'd like for you to slice me off about two pounds of that bologna but Cowboy Kent Rollins told me to tell you make it at least a quarter to 5 16 to a half inch thick I've eaten this stuff all my life on ranches I'd take it when I was going in early you know what I have fried bologna for breakfast bologna sandwich at lunch and fried bologna for supper because I could buy a package of that for 69 cents it was on sale and I have eaten so much of it so this one here probably Blow Away In The Wind but this one won't tell you what I messed that all up Shannon okay oh we're going to take this bologna we're going to Cowboy it up I'll meet you over there at the smoker two pieces of Bologna two jalapenos fixing to go on the smoker but what big news folks the cowboy Smoke Box is out oh my gosh I want to design a smoker that would hold a temperature constant there's so much variation in everything that I've ever used and we designed it me and the good Folks at Hasty bait now y'all heard me mention their name before they are the people that make our birth stoves which is sitting there in the background that it's got this sealed that when you bring it down here and you hang on we have trouble in Paradise he's about to get the cheap bologna you can latch this and it is what you call fixing to be smoke tight now the Firebox down here below just slips in there we got it full of good hardwood faux gold lump charcoal today so if you want the best smoker out there on the market you can order this thing there'll be a link down below or you can check out our website but I'm getting tired of holding this baloney I'm fixing to cook it let's get her open it is preheated it is Grill has been cleaned off now if Shannon come in here I want y'all to see down in the bottom of this there's actually two sets of racks one is down here below or if you want to put a water bath then there is a deflector Shield that's right over the fire that's just so wide that just blocks some of it so we're not talking about indirect heat anywhere we're just talking about a smoker so we're going to lay these so so good it's got a little Sizzle right there at first but folks we're going to put these on this sandwich but I want them to have some good smoke flavor so we got them on let's get this shut down good and tight we're going to start with three pieces of mesquite wood because I want some good smoke but also if I can reach it some apple wood what do you think Mage two of them will be a plenty I like to leave that door open just a little to get that flame to go into our nose when I shut this off we're going to go to instantly making some smoke now we're going to run this smoker about 225 to 250 degrees but we're going to let this smoke probably 20 to 25 minutes just to get it that good flavor get everything really going the jalapenos will stay a little longer because we want them to get good and soft I treat bologna really like a piece of pork or chicken in a way even though it's beef bologna because it's sort of a smooth surface meat there's no grain to it like that it's processed so I think it really pairs well with Oak Mesquite cherry or apple now you can start with just straight Oak and go that way and be just fine but I want to give it a good blend of smoke bath that's going to get all the flavors penetrated in there and I really like to pair all things with fruit wood in the end well well that's smoking right along we just want to go ahead and mix up the spread that is going to go on here what I would really call the Salve that's what we used to call it a long time ago did you put the Salve on your sandwich we're going to use some what Duke's Mayo to that some honey Dijon mustard is that French Italian or what I mean what is what is the word Dijon is hi so let me rephrase that okay today we're going to use some Dijon must no wrong accent okay French let's do French we will make sure we're going to use Dijon mustard a little of the famous W sauce it don't take much just a splash coarse ground black pepper one garlic clove get everybody in there give them a stir get it really mixed well and just put it back in the fridge the icebox the Yeti cooler needs to be cold when it gets there so I'm going to put it on there it's time to check the smoker well you see me ring that onion up you did half a stick of butter goes right in here we're going to scoot this bologna down I'm going to let that butter melt this bologna don't like much being Plum done getting back here over the way because remember I told you that we're going to do something else to at times we smoke it you know when you cook bologna just right and you you what fry it at the end to give it that crispy goodness right around that edge it is oh so good but folks I'm going to let you in a little secret right now hang on what do you keep looking at this hash knife I need it so I want to show you something see how this bologna is trying to puff up a little now you always want to go back and just cut it just a little somewhere to where it'll lay flat that way it'll fry better it won't be puffed up like a pancake so we're going to let that go about five more minutes and spin on about 15. we'll take that off there open that heat up a little bit get them onions really like we like them and then oh it won't be long before we put the Masterpiece together thank you well folks the baloney was on about 20 minutes we took it off keeping it warm over there out of the sight of the beagle let them onions cook and hey you can see we give them some really good color that butter really helps in there I want you to look at them jalapenos they have got so much flavor coming in there so we're gonna put all these together right in here and get them off so we can move a little further down the trail get them in there go ahead and just leave that Skillet up there let it get good and hot because what are we going to do we fit to put that bologna back in there and give us some crispy goodness we may have to go get a 20 inch Skillet as big as this bologna is to get up both pieces in there at the same time but ah hear that sound that is what I'm after it ain't gonna take full ain't going to take long because that baloney got pretty good smoke to it got it going good but guess what while we're letting Matt do that can you see me I'm up close what is it we're not just going to use no regular I'll catch it in a minute it'll hit up again the tree Texas toast people say where do you get it you get it in the bread owl you know but go down through there I want to show you now Texas toast is big like Texas it is thick thick cut bread it matches the thick cut bologna I'm just going to lay two right here a minute because I have to get them out to where we can spread some of that butter on them so let me throw this back to you Shannon you catch it good job I got me some butter that is softened a little put this rag down here see if we can't do this Meiji it don't take a lot but it do take a little be sure and get your butter out ahead of time because see you can see in the cool weather today that ain't gonna spread at all so we're just going to try to dab some on there and see what happens because if you run it across there it's like shaving without shaving cream I mean you're going to damage something so we're going to put him down that side first because we've got to give him some grill marks and get him toasted but let's see what's happening here on this bologna foreign we I mean you could you could be serving this right here for Thanksgiving I'm telling you it is good now when I was growing up bologna sandwich just just consisted of two pieces of white bread some mayonnaise maybe a little bit of cheese and I like to use that American cheese now folks are going to be down on me saying oh no the processed cheese please folks from Wisconsin bear with me just a minute and why am I looking that way because that's North that's where they're at that cheese melts oh so good it does so what we're gonna do we are fixing to put it together and get some of them adult veggie happy meals to go in because it is a good day it is thank you foreign that a great creation not like my childhood bologna sandwich but as an adult version of the greatest Happy Meal there is now Shan said she thinks that I should cut this now a lot of you think that I'm going to cut it this way yeah no you have to cut it that way that's the pretty no you cut it this way we always eat a sandwich at home okay here we go we're gonna do a pull part look at those layers well we sliced it the adult version way too Shan said but I mean that is a fine looking sandwich this is not that little bitty thin bologna look I mean and them jalapenos um it's going back into Retro here like a disco like a long time ago and you got the disco ball up there going around like everybody be doing like this and then the cowboy walk into the room and he said let's turn it up a sandwich everything is good well folks that was good and it's worth the disco dance but you know I ain't gonna give the pups that because that's mine I'm I'm gonna go but you know this thin bologna that we had everybody gather around now everybody duker your first today then there's the big where is the Meiji and there is Saint Lou everybody's in good shape they had some of it all folks you can layer this sandwich any way you please but I really like to start out with some of that good thickness down there on the bottom put that melted cheese on there then you can go a tomato or you can leave it off just use your imagination put anything on it you want well we hope you all enjoyed because this is probably one of my most favorite meals in the whole wide world and I don't think Sam did y'all even have a bologna sandwich growing up oh my gosh we're gonna pray for you here in a minute Shannon but folks remember everything that we use today that you might want to find out and I've had some people ask I can't find the stuff look in the little description down there below the link will be there for the recipe or just go to the website but don't forget to check out that smoker you're going to want one of them and it is with great privilege and honor that I do this and that is salute all those service men and women and all the veterans and all those folks who are keeping us safe we never forget you we'll always have you in our prayers and we thank you so much for what you do for us rest of you come on in here y'all don't told me you really appreciate the hugs so we're going to give you a big in the day ah God bless you each and every one and I'll see you down the best bologna sandwich Trail ever go I can't clap loud I have a sore on my hand oh look right here hey where is it let me zoom in look at some to see it because it's so small I nearly had to go to Critical Care because I think Channel understand I have seen my wife do this at times to work I'm going to make this a little bigger you could have a baloney face mask to where you just no huh I'm so glad y'all swing by our Channel today guess what this thing is not a word it is two s-w-a-n-g never mind okay Shannon said it's not thank you all for coming down to do drop in I said I couldn't you said I couldn't say well y'all dude drop inhey thank you all for stopping by here you know I got to thinking and this would be a great day to relive all them childhood memories about the best sandwich you ever had in your life the classic bologna sandwich even better part smoked part fried got all the goodness thrown in together hey thank y'all for stopping by Camp the Lord has blessed us with cloudy cool weather I love it I mean this is one of the perfect film days may get a little Breezy before it's over but we have that great curtain of clouds there that blocks it out but what are we talking about today the ever popular oh so famous bologna sandwich now I remember when we was little and we eat them ever since I can remember having one tooth I mean that's what was on the table was a bologna sandwich my daddy called it red Rhine steak but so many people go to the store now and what do they do they reach in their pocket and they pull out some bologna yes but folks look what this says made with beef pork and chicken how did they get all them animals in this little package but I want to show you something here this is what amazes me with baloney today if you drain the water off of it is see this how thin this is let's just do some comparing when you go buy bologna don't buy this stuff don't buy the stuff in the package go to the deli section of the store and tell them I want some bologna but I do not want the baloney whoa sliced here I want the bologna sliced here now is yours uh all beef or is it this is a all beef bologna folks I'm not even going to go into what end is all in a piece of baloney but it is pure 100 beef that's all I'm going to tell you ask that lady behind the deli counter go over there there's got them big loaves of Bologna okay tell her now sir I'd like for you to slice me off about two pounds of that bologna but Cowboy Kent Rollins told me to tell you make it at least a quarter to 5 16 to a half inch thick I've eaten this stuff all my life on ranches I'd take it when I was going in early you know what I have fried bologna for breakfast bologna sandwich at lunch and fried bologna for supper because I could buy a package of that for 69 cents it was on sale and I have eaten so much of it so this one here probably Blow Away In The Wind but this one won't tell you what I messed that all up Shannon okay oh we're going to take this bologna we're going to Cowboy it up I'll meet you over there at the smoker two pieces of Bologna two jalapenos fixing to go on the smoker but what big news folks the cowboy Smoke Box is out oh my gosh I want to design a smoker that would hold a temperature constant there's so much variation in everything that I've ever used and we designed it me and the good Folks at Hasty bait now y'all heard me mention their name before they are the people that make our birth stoves which is sitting there in the background that it's got this sealed that when you bring it down here and you hang on we have trouble in Paradise he's about to get the cheap bologna you can latch this and it is what you call fixing to be smoke tight now the Firebox down here below just slips in there we got it full of good hardwood faux gold lump charcoal today so if you want the best smoker out there on the market you can order this thing there'll be a link down below or you can check out our website but I'm getting tired of holding this baloney I'm fixing to cook it let's get her open it is preheated it is Grill has been cleaned off now if Shannon come in here I want y'all to see down in the bottom of this there's actually two sets of racks one is down here below or if you want to put a water bath then there is a deflector Shield that's right over the fire that's just so wide that just blocks some of it so we're not talking about indirect heat anywhere we're just talking about a smoker so we're going to lay these so so good it's got a little Sizzle right there at first but folks we're going to put these on this sandwich but I want them to have some good smoke flavor so we got them on let's get this shut down good and tight we're going to start with three pieces of mesquite wood because I want some good smoke but also if I can reach it some apple wood what do you think Mage two of them will be a plenty I like to leave that door open just a little to get that flame to go into our nose when I shut this off we're going to go to instantly making some smoke now we're going to run this smoker about 225 to 250 degrees but we're going to let this smoke probably 20 to 25 minutes just to get it that good flavor get everything really going the jalapenos will stay a little longer because we want them to get good and soft I treat bologna really like a piece of pork or chicken in a way even though it's beef bologna because it's sort of a smooth surface meat there's no grain to it like that it's processed so I think it really pairs well with Oak Mesquite cherry or apple now you can start with just straight Oak and go that way and be just fine but I want to give it a good blend of smoke bath that's going to get all the flavors penetrated in there and I really like to pair all things with fruit wood in the end well well that's smoking right along we just want to go ahead and mix up the spread that is going to go on here what I would really call the Salve that's what we used to call it a long time ago did you put the Salve on your sandwich we're going to use some what Duke's Mayo to that some honey Dijon mustard is that French Italian or what I mean what is what is the word Dijon is hi so let me rephrase that okay today we're going to use some Dijon must no wrong accent okay French let's do French we will make sure we're going to use Dijon mustard a little of the famous W sauce it don't take much just a splash coarse ground black pepper one garlic clove get everybody in there give them a stir get it really mixed well and just put it back in the fridge the icebox the Yeti cooler needs to be cold when it gets there so I'm going to put it on there it's time to check the smoker well you see me ring that onion up you did half a stick of butter goes right in here we're going to scoot this bologna down I'm going to let that butter melt this bologna don't like much being Plum done getting back here over the way because remember I told you that we're going to do something else to at times we smoke it you know when you cook bologna just right and you you what fry it at the end to give it that crispy goodness right around that edge it is oh so good but folks I'm going to let you in a little secret right now hang on what do you keep looking at this hash knife I need it so I want to show you something see how this bologna is trying to puff up a little now you always want to go back and just cut it just a little somewhere to where it'll lay flat that way it'll fry better it won't be puffed up like a pancake so we're going to let that go about five more minutes and spin on about 15. we'll take that off there open that heat up a little bit get them onions really like we like them and then oh it won't be long before we put the Masterpiece together thank you well folks the baloney was on about 20 minutes we took it off keeping it warm over there out of the sight of the beagle let them onions cook and hey you can see we give them some really good color that butter really helps in there I want you to look at them jalapenos they have got so much flavor coming in there so we're gonna put all these together right in here and get them off so we can move a little further down the trail get them in there go ahead and just leave that Skillet up there let it get good and hot because what are we going to do we fit to put that bologna back in there and give us some crispy goodness we may have to go get a 20 inch Skillet as big as this bologna is to get up both pieces in there at the same time but ah hear that sound that is what I'm after it ain't gonna take full ain't going to take long because that baloney got pretty good smoke to it got it going good but guess what while we're letting Matt do that can you see me I'm up close what is it we're not just going to use no regular I'll catch it in a minute it'll hit up again the tree Texas toast people say where do you get it you get it in the bread owl you know but go down through there I want to show you now Texas toast is big like Texas it is thick thick cut bread it matches the thick cut bologna I'm just going to lay two right here a minute because I have to get them out to where we can spread some of that butter on them so let me throw this back to you Shannon you catch it good job I got me some butter that is softened a little put this rag down here see if we can't do this Meiji it don't take a lot but it do take a little be sure and get your butter out ahead of time because see you can see in the cool weather today that ain't gonna spread at all so we're just going to try to dab some on there and see what happens because if you run it across there it's like shaving without shaving cream I mean you're going to damage something so we're going to put him down that side first because we've got to give him some grill marks and get him toasted but let's see what's happening here on this bologna foreign we I mean you could you could be serving this right here for Thanksgiving I'm telling you it is good now when I was growing up bologna sandwich just just consisted of two pieces of white bread some mayonnaise maybe a little bit of cheese and I like to use that American cheese now folks are going to be down on me saying oh no the processed cheese please folks from Wisconsin bear with me just a minute and why am I looking that way because that's North that's where they're at that cheese melts oh so good it does so what we're gonna do we are fixing to put it together and get some of them adult veggie happy meals to go in because it is a good day it is thank you foreign that a great creation not like my childhood bologna sandwich but as an adult version of the greatest Happy Meal there is now Shan said she thinks that I should cut this now a lot of you think that I'm going to cut it this way yeah no you have to cut it that way that's the pretty no you cut it this way we always eat a sandwich at home okay here we go we're gonna do a pull part look at those layers well we sliced it the adult version way too Shan said but I mean that is a fine looking sandwich this is not that little bitty thin bologna look I mean and them jalapenos um it's going back into Retro here like a disco like a long time ago and you got the disco ball up there going around like everybody be doing like this and then the cowboy walk into the room and he said let's turn it up a sandwich everything is good well folks that was good and it's worth the disco dance but you know I ain't gonna give the pups that because that's mine I'm I'm gonna go but you know this thin bologna that we had everybody gather around now everybody duker your first today then there's the big where is the Meiji and there is Saint Lou everybody's in good shape they had some of it all folks you can layer this sandwich any way you please but I really like to start out with some of that good thickness down there on the bottom put that melted cheese on there then you can go a tomato or you can leave it off just use your imagination put anything on it you want well we hope you all enjoyed because this is probably one of my most favorite meals in the whole wide world and I don't think Sam did y'all even have a bologna sandwich growing up oh my gosh we're gonna pray for you here in a minute Shannon but folks remember everything that we use today that you might want to find out and I've had some people ask I can't find the stuff look in the little description down there below the link will be there for the recipe or just go to the website but don't forget to check out that smoker you're going to want one of them and it is with great privilege and honor that I do this and that is salute all those service men and women and all the veterans and all those folks who are keeping us safe we never forget you we'll always have you in our prayers and we thank you so much for what you do for us rest of you come on in here y'all don't told me you really appreciate the hugs so we're going to give you a big in the day ah God bless you each and every one and I'll see you down the best bologna sandwich Trail ever go I can't clap loud I have a sore on my hand oh look right here hey where is it let me zoom in look at some to see it because it's so small I nearly had to go to Critical Care because I think Channel understand I have seen my wife do this at times to work I'm going to make this a little bigger you could have a baloney face mask to where you just no huh I'm so glad y'all swing by our Channel today guess what this thing is not a word it is two s-w-a-n-g never mind okay Shannon said it's not thank you all for coming down to do drop in I said I couldn't you said I couldn't say well y'all dude drop in\n"