In North America, a simple bologna cake popular use is in the bologna sandwich. American bologna to be finely ground, and without visible pieces of fat.

Lebanon bologna is a Pennsylvania Dutch prepared meat. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a “polony” is a finely ground pork-and-beef sausage. The name, likely derived from “Bologna”, has been in use since the 17th century. The modern product is usually cooked in a red or orange skin and is served as cold slices. In New Zealand “polony” is a type of cocktail sausage with pink or red artificially-coloured skin similar to, but much smaller than, a saveloy.

Miniature polonies in New Zealand are called “Cheerios” and are eaten boiled. South African “polony” is similar to bologna in constitution and appearance, and is typically inexpensive. French polony”, with thinner rolls referred to simply as “polony”. Garlic polony is also widely available. In 2018 a South African factory that produced polony and other processed meats was associated with a listeriosis outbreak that killed approximately 180 people and sickened a further thousand.

Rag bologna is a long stick, or “chub”, of high-fat bologna native to West Tennessee and its surrounding area. Unavailable beyond it, the sausage is traditionally sold wrapped in a cloth rag. The recipe has a higher content of filler than that of regular bologna. Ring bologna is much smaller in diameter than standard bologna. It is better suited for slicing and serving on crackers, either as a snack or hors d’oeuvre.

It is generally sold as an entire link rather than sliced. Various vegetarian and vegan versions of bologna are available. A typical UK recipe uses soya and wheat protein in the place of lean meat and palm oil instead of fat together with starch, carrageenan, and flavorings. It can be eaten cold or cooked in the same ways as traditional bologna.