The Case For Adding Cream Cheese To Your Bologna Sandwich

A simple bologna sandwich is a nostalgic staple you might remember from lunchboxes of years past. If you enjoyed them at home, you may have gotten a slightly fancier version with the bologna fried before it was placed between those essential slices of white bread. (To bring back those memories, try our gourmet fried bologna sandwich recipe). However, we're willing to bet your taste buds are a little more adventurous as an adult, so it may be time to try a few different takes on this classic. To start, we highly recommend adding some cream cheese as an upgrade to your bologna sandwich.

Spreads do double duty by adding extra flavor and moisture to enhance your sandwich while also shielding your bread a bit from the other toppings, keeping it as fresh as possible. Cream cheese is particularly effective because of its thick texture compared to common condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise. It also adds creamy and subtle sweet flavor notes that pair well with just about any type of bologna, whether it's an inexpensive grocery store brand or an artisan variety packed with spices like myrtle berry, nutmeg, and coriander. The one thing it doesn't add is texture, though, so we'd recommend tossing in chips for some crunch or using garlic bread for your bologna sandwich to add crispness.

Plain cream cheese is a fine way to start, but you can level up this pairing with bologna so much more if you consider different varieties. Add some sweetness with a fruit-flavored spread like cream cheese with pineapple. Those who prefer a veggie-forward take might consider herb and garlic or dill cream cheese paired with whatever vegetables you have on hand. If you rarely enjoy a sandwich without dousing it in hot sauce, find a cream cheese that incorporates some spice such as chipotle or jalapeño flavors.

Don't forget that plain cream cheese can easily be adapted if you don't want to go out and buy several varieties just to try out a few different sandwich combinations. As long as you're mindful of not adding too much liquid, which could thin your cream cheese out too much, the sky is the limit. Plus, when you're making your own, you have the added benefit of controlling the exact amounts of the different ingredients you're incorporating. Mix in some of your preferred hot sauce or finely diced hot peppers for a spicy take, add chopped pickles for a bit of tang, or if you want a burst of flavors, consider mixing in honey and red pepper flakes for a spread that delivers heat, sweetness, and creaminess all at once.