Make Bologna The Star Of Your Next Stir-Fry

The nostalgic smell of sizzling bologna can bring you right back to childhood, especially if you had fried bologna and eggs for breakfast before school. It's a deli meat that is hearty, filling, salty, and satisfying, and can be added to just about anything. You can eat it hot or cold; in a sandwich or as a snack straight out of the container. Bologna is a barbecue classic in Oklahoma, it's a staple in the Midwest, and fried bologna sandwiches are famous in the South. Cultures within the U.S. and around the world use versions of bologna in regional recipes that range from the mortadella of traditional Italian dishes to cubed bologna casserole, a popular Depression-era dish of the 1930s.

One of the best ways to use this popular deli meat is to add it to stir-fry. It's the answer to dinner on a busy weeknight, and a great way to feed the family and empty the fridge at the same time. It's also become a popular keto-friendly ingredient, providing flavor for vegetables like zucchini. Bologna stir-fry is also an easy freezer meal, one that can be made in bulk and reheated for a rainy — or busy — day. Prep the raw veggies ahead of time and portion them out into individual bags you can use later to create a bite to eat that's quick, delicious-smelling, and home-cooked.

It's easy to see why bologna works wonders for a stir-fry. The precooked deli meat easily adds a little protein to a pan full of vegetables like carrots, spinach, onion, garlic, cabbage, mushrooms, or bell peppers. The range of seasonings is just as wide; You can use herbs like dried oregano, seasoned salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and even soy sauce to flavor your bologna stir-fry.

You can't really go wrong, but the worst mistakes you can make with stir-fry ingredients really come down to two things: timing and the size of your ingredients. Chop everything the same size, and use a regular skillet or a wok-style pan for the most even heating. Add ingredients to your hot pan in stages, starting with oil, garlic, onion, and other minced aromatics. Look for thick-sliced bologna, a deli loaf, or ring bologna you can cut into ¼- to ½-inch slices — and cube — so it stays moist while cooking in tandem with the rest of the stir-fry. Thin-sliced bologna fries very quickly, so if you're using it, add it after everything else is nearly finished cooking to prevent it from burning. In a matter of minutes, you'll be enjoying the salty, caramelized flavors of fried bologna along with your favorite stir-fried veggies.