Alton Brown's Genius Bologna Sandwich Tip

One of the most classic and convenient meals to grace our lunch and dinner plates is the sandwich, whether we are talking a Reuben, BLT, PB&J or grilled cheese. It can be simple or complicated, but regardless of your preference, the most important aspect of a sandwich is that it must be delicious. 

While the hot dogs are sandwiches debate will likely never be fully put to bed, Alton Brown is not shy about sharing his definitive notion of what a sandwich is. The "Good Eats" host took to Twitter to share his, tweeting, "my definition of 'sandwich' is: any food designed to be conveyed to the mouth by fingers whereby the food and fingers are separated by leavened bread which directly juxtaposes at least two sides of the filling and is consumed along with the filling." 

Brown is undoubtedly a fan of this favored food. According to Serious Eats, he ate a steady diet of sardine-avocado sandwiches to drop 50 pounds. So, it should come as no surprise that the celebrity chef is offering up a genius tip for one of the most iconic sandwiches of the century: the bologna sandwich.

There are many ways to enjoy a bologna sandwich: fried, cold, with potato chips, or classed up with Italian ingredients. Southern Living explains the classic American fried bologna sandwich starts with slices of white bread. In between the bread goes American cheese, a couple of slices of bologna, and a bit of mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and a pickle. But fried or cold, a bologna sandwich is a childhood favorite that can endure into adulthood with the right adjustments. Alton Brown proves this point, with his life-changing trick that lets you have the best of both worlds when it comes to preparing and eating it. 

During an episode of his "Quarantine Quitchen," Brown said that a fried bologna sandwich is typically a Southern thing, and he usually prefers his cold; however, he came up with a way to split the difference. Brown likes to fry up a couple of slices of bologna and pair it with some cold slices. The celebrity chef further disclosed that he puts mayo on one slice of bread and mustard on the other. In addition to bologna, Brown shared that he also thinly slices up a red onion for his bologna sandwich. Brown didn't elaborate why, but it certainly would add a fresh, crunchy texture to the mix. So the next time you can't decide between a fried bologna sandwich or a cold one, have both.