Cook Your Bologna Sandwich In This Appliance And You'll Never Go Back

For many of us, nothing is more classic than a bologna sandwich. Whether you like to keep it simple with soft white bread and a slice of American cheese or experiment with grown-up gourmet bologna sandwiches, there's always a way to mix things up and make tried-and-true recipes even better. Fried bologna is a go-to when you fancy a warm snack with some extra crunch to it – bologna and hot dogs are essentially the same thing so there's no reason you shouldn't try cooking some slices.

Frying your bologna in oil, while delicious, does have a couple of downsides, however. First off, it adds extra fat to your meal which you may want to avoid if you're after a light lunch. (Although there's no real basis to the prevalent myth that bologna is ground-up mystery meat, it's not exactly a health food, either.) Secondly, making a low-maintenance bologna sandwich should be fast, easy, and require minimal clean-up. Frying your bologna adds a pan to wash and potentially a stovetop to clean if the grease spatters.

Still, nothing beats those crispy edges and lightly smoky flavor. So, what can you do instead? Try cooking your bologna in the air fryer. This no-fuss hack gives you the slight crunch and crackle of traditional fried bologna with a less oily finish. Of course, you could go one step further and also cook your entire sandwich in the air fryer. If you opt for this approach, you can either air fry the meat, bread, and other ingredients separately before assembling them or you can place the fully built sandwich into the appliance. Both approaches will give you a brilliant bologna sandwich.

Cooking bologna in your air fryer takes around five minutes. You'll want to choose your favorite bologna brand and give your air fryer basket a spray or a brush with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. If it hasn't come pre-sliced, slice your bologna and remove any casing, then place the slices in a single layer in the basket. Don't overcrowd the fryer, but don't worry if the edges overlap – they'll curl up slightly anyway. Cook your bologna in the air fryer at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prep your other sandwich ingredients while you wait.

In no time at all, you'll have mouthwateringly crisp bologna that's ready to go into your sandwich. The warm, sizzly slices go perfectly with cheese (which you can melt onto the sandwich bread by putting them into the air fryer) or with a fresh, juicy tomato slice and some salt and pepper. Mustard and mayo are classic bologna sandwich condiments, but you could also test out Snoop Dogg's OG bologna sandwich that's loaded with barbeque-flavored chips. Add some hot sauce if you love tangy heat, or use your air-fried bologna to replace the deli meat in your club sandwich, if you're feeling extra bougie.