Forget Bacon And Start Using Bologna In Your Breakfast Sandwiches

A typical breakfast sandwich has three main fillings: eggs, cheese, and breakfast meat. The variations are endless; you might even put leftover hot dogs in your breakfast sandwich. For another option that's a little different, though, try adding bologna. You'll be surprised by how much flavor it brings to the dish — especially when it's fried.

Bologna is the more laid-back version of mortadella, which is a fatty, cured Italian sausage known for its rich flavor. Bologna can be made from a combination of pork, beef, and chicken, and while its flavor differs from bacon — which is made only from pork — bologna has rich, salty notes that help it work well in a breakfast sandwich. In the South, fried bologna is a staple on breakfast and lunch menus. Frying it first helps build nice texture alongside the softer eggs and cheese, but crisping it up ultimately comes down to personal preference. For the best results, use thinly sliced bologna because it crisps easily and more closely resembles the thickness of bacon.

Frying the bologna first will help give it a more similar texture to bacon. Crispy bologna closely resembles other breakfast meats such as scrapple, which is popular in Pennsylvania, and Taylor ham (also known as pork roll), which is popular in New Jersey. The bottom line: Nearly any salty, fatty meat can be crisped up and added to a breakfast sandwich.

Frying the bologna is easy; just add a little butter or oil to a pan, and heat it on both sides until it reaches your desired crispness. The trick to frying crispy bologna that doesn't curl up is to cut a small "X" in the middle or a slit on the sides, which allows for better air flow.

Besides an egg and cheese, your crispy bologna sandwich can also be filled with plenty of vegetables. Fresh spinach or arugula, hot peppers, and even sliced avocado are all common ingredients in breakfast sandwiches, which add color and nutrients in addition to flavor. For a more unique profile, don't be afraid to add a drizzle of honey; the sweetness balances nicely with the rich cheese and bologna.