The term Olive loaf can refer to two different food products, either a type of meatloaf

Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan...

 embedded with pimento

Pimento

A pimento or cherry pepper is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper that measures 3 to 4 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide . The flesh of the pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper...

-stuffed green olive

Olive

The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...

s, or a type of bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

 where the loaf is laced with whole olives.

The luncheon meat

Cold cut

Cold cuts are cheeses or precooked or cured meat, often sausages or meat loaves, that are sliced and usually served cold on sandwiches or on party trays. They can be bought pre-sliced in vacuum packs at a supermarket or grocery store, or they can be purchased at a delicatessen or deli counter,...

 often also contains garlic

Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...

, basil

Basil

Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....

 or sweet peppers for additional flavor. Olive loaf is a loaf-type luncheon meat, traditionally cooked in a loaf pan as opposed to a sausage

Sausage

A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...

 cooked in a casing. Higher quality olive loaf is primarily beef and pork while less expensive olive loaf contains mostly chicken or turkey. Since most less expensive bologna

Bologna sausage

Bologna sausage is an American sausage derived from and definitely not similar to the Italian mortadella . It is commonly called boloney, baloney or, more formally, bologna...

 is made from similar meats, and since many companies now cook olive loaf in sleeves to give it a round appearance, it is a common misconception that olive loaf is a sausage like bologna.

Olive loaf is very closely related to pimento loaf

Pimento loaf

Pimiento Loaf, also commonly spelled Pimento Loaf, also called Pickle and Pimiento Loaf or P&P Loaf, is a loaf-type luncheon meat containing finely chopped beef and pork, as well as chopped pickles and pimientos. After being formed into a loaf and cooked, the loaf is kept whole so it can be sliced...

, the primary difference being the addition of pickles in place of olives.