Steve and I hosted a Bologna Sandwich Taste Off yesterday, after the day's hat making. Inspired by watching many episodes of America's Top Chef back to back last week, and Steve's current obsession with baloney sandwiches, and New Year's Day party was born.

We assembled the traditional and more gourmet ingredients, and then kept making them up. As Helen pointed out, it was more of a "tasting," as we cut up the sandwiches into little bite size pieces, to prevent sandwich overload.

The overall winners? The Traditional (Wonder bread, Oscar Meyer bologna, French's yellow mustard, white American cheese from the deli and iceburg lettuce) was a crowd favorite, with Carla putting a layer of potato chips in it for extra crunch. But for Taste the big winner was a little more gourmet.

I buttered the outside of two slices of challah bread, laid them butter side down on the Foreman Grill. I then lightly fried up a few slices of the thin sliced deli counter bologna, laying it on one side of the grilling bread, then placing a slice of provolone cheese on top. The other piece of bread got a slathering of dijon mustard and a couple of tomato slices, then salt and pepper. I then stacked it all together and shut the lid down for a minute or two. Dee-lish!!!!!!

Other versions were inspired by a Sacko sub or had spicy olives and peppers layered within. At some point, Carla was even spreading jelly on a grilled one, a la a Monte Cristo. A good time was had by all, and no one suffered a sodium or nitrate overload.