Alton Brown's Genius Bologna Sandwich Serves Up The Best Of Both Worlds

For some, choosing between cold and fried bologna for your sandwich isn't easy. While cold bologna sandwiches are tried-and-true classics, fried bologna is a staple of southern cooking that has attracted chefs and foodies alike. For Alton Brown, his preference to preserve classic dishes — such as his traditional take on baked potatoes — and his love for Southern cooking clash as far as bologna is concerned, resulting in the chef inventing a fascinating variation of the sandwich that bologna lovers will appreciate. 

Brown explained his unique method in an episode of "QQ Live" — the esteemed celebrity chef's live cooking show on YouTube that began in 2020 — when he said, "Bologna is the best [...] I like mine on white bread. I like to take one piece and put it in cold, then the other piece skillet-fried so that I get the best of both worlds [...] Why would you choose? You could have both!"

Thus, while fried bologna is more or less the same thing as a hot dog, it is, in Alton Brown's opinion, just as vital to making the perfect bologna sandwich as cold bologna is. That's likely because fried bologna — along with its salty taste — brings a crispiness to the sandwich that can improve a standard bologna sandwich's texture immensely. Alternatively, the cold bologna brings a similar yet less bold flavor that balances the sandwich very well.

While using the two different styles of bologna is the key component to Brown's dish, there's more to know about his go-to bologna sandwich that makes it what it is. For starters, he — much like many other Southern chefs familiar with fried bologna — cuts an "x" into the center of his bologna before frying it. This helps the slice of meat cook more evenly and prevents the edges from warping on the skillet.

Otherwise, Brown likes to keep his bologna sandwich simple, adding mayonnaise to the cold bologna side of the sandwich, mustard to the fried bologna side, and thin red onion shavings to the middle to complete his go-to dish. If you want to make Brown's bologna sandwich recipe even more satisfying, you can add pickles as additional toppings; the tangy addition pairs well with both hot and cold bologna, making it perfect for the unique sandwich. Alternatively, if you're feeling experimental, you can chicken-fry your hot piece of bologna to upgrade the dish in terms of taste and texture.