Grab This Canned Meat For A Cheap And Easy Classic Southern Sandwich

Bologna, Spam, and that ever-so-devilish deviled ham: it seems there's no prepackaged meat Southerners won't eat with relish. Partly, this tendency has roots in the Great Depression and making do with limited resources. But canned meat can be absolutely delicious if prepared correctly. Take, for example, the bologna sandwich. It's a lunchbox mainstay served straight from the pack, but it can just as easily be fried up for a more dinner-appropriate dish. Its savory, buttery, crispy taste is delicious at any budget. But we'd like to present another figure in the pantheon of great canned meat sandwich fillings: Vienna sausages.

These petite, canned delights are made from a mixture of meats and can be found in grocery stores, dollar stores, and, on occasion, roadside gas stations. They are small, soft (with a similar texture to bologna), and have a taste similar to hot dogs but a bit milder. Essentially, they're the perfect candidate for turning into a delicious sandwich. To make, simply drain your can of Vienna sausages, pat dry with a paper towel, and cut lengthwise. Then, place them in your sandwich along with spreads and toppings. Mayonnaise and potato chips (salt and vinegar is perfect) are sneakily great pairings for this sandwich, but Vienna sausages are versatile enough to go with just about anything — so let's get into that anything.

The sandwich possibilities one can make with Vienna sausages are endless. Beyond the simple slice-and-serve technique, these sausages also work well when fried up. Simply put butter in a pan, turn heat to medium, and saute halved sausages until perfectly browned. From here, you can either place in a sandwich or add a sauce. Barbecue sauce works well, especially when all served in a lovely potato roll.

You could also go simple, and serve your browned Vienna sausages between pieces of sourdough with crispy bib lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and mayonnaise as a sort of VLT. Alternatively, add these to a full package of Hawaiian rolls with cheese and sauteed peppers (or any other toppings you prefer) to make a family-size sheet of pull-apart sandwiches. Trader Joe's Cheddar Cheese with Caramelized Onions makes a great, distinctive cheese topper, though you could go for pretty much any cheese, such as mozzarella, to suit your tastes. Perhaps a creamy provolone and some pickled peppers? With these sausages, almost anything goes.