Zapiekanka or Polish sandwich โ open-faced toasted sandwiches topped with fried mushrooms, ham, and cheese.
Some kind of pizza sandwich or Polish zapiekanka: deliciously crunchy baguette halves topped with whatever you like.
Another Polish recipe for you again today, I have quite a few of them on the blog, for instance, the Bezowy Cake, one of the best cakes I have ever eaten. The Bigos Stew or the Polish Kasha, which is roasted buckwheat with mushrooms and onions.
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๐ฅชWhat is Zapiekanka?
Zapiekanka is a popular Polish street food consisting of half a baguette, topped with fried mushrooms and cheese, toasted in the oven until the cheese melts. Afterward, you squeeze some ketchup on it, and there you have it, some kind of pizza sandwich, hot and delicious!
Zapiekanka appeared for the first time on the streets of Poland in the 1970s, but it became really common at the end of the 1980s when the communist laws regarding private enterprise started to loosen in the country.
This led to the spread of food trucks selling zapiekanki, French fries, sausages, or rotisserie chicken.
There are many varieties of zapiekanka. It started with the mushrooms and the cheese, but people kept adding stuff to it to make it more interesting.
Other versions of the so-called โPolish pizzaโ include โDiabloโ with hot sauce, bacon, and pickled cucumbers, โGreekโ with feta and olives, โGypsyโ with sweet and sour sauce, or โHawaiianโ with pineapple and barbecue sauce.
๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ณHow to make it at home?
- Start with frying the mushrooms and green onions in a little butter for about 3-4 minutes or until the released juices are evaporated and the mushrooms are golden.
- Add salt, pepper, and some chopped herbs.
- If you have a long baguette, halve it in the middle and then and halve it lengthwise. If you have two smaller ones, halve them lengthwise.
- Top them with the pan-fried mushrooms, some thin ham slices (optional), and grated cheese.
- I used Gouda cheese, but Cheddar, Gruyere or other similar cheese that you like is OK.
- Toast the Polish sandwiches for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.
๐ฝ๏ธHow to serve?
Enjoy with some thinly sliced scallions and ketchup on top. Or Sriracha sauce, in my case, because I like things a bit hotter, and I really cannot stand ketchup.
The zapiekanka sandwiches can be assembled ahead, covered with cling film, and refrigerated until ready to bake.
๐ฅMore sandwiches
๐Recipe
Zapiekanka - Polish Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 lb mushrooms 450 g, button, cremini
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 tablespoon butter + a little more for the baguettes
- 1 long baguette or two smaller ones
- 8 thin ham slices
- 1 cup grated cheese 100 g, Notes 1,2
- 1-2 thin scallions
- fine sea salt and pepper
- ketchup to serve or hot sauce for a spicier version
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320ยฐF/ 160ยฐC. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cook mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms with kitchen paper and cut them into slices. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a cast iron or a nonstick pan. Fry the mushrooms for about 3-4 minutes or until their released juices have evaporated. Add the chopped thyme leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.1 lb mushrooms/ 450 g + 1 tablespoon butter + 2 sprigs of thyme + fine sea salt and pepper
- Cut bread: If using a long baguette, cut it in half first and then cut the halves lengthwise. If using small baguettes, halve them lengthwise.1 long baguette
- Top bread: Spread a thin layer of butter onto the baguettes. Top the baguette halves with the fried mushrooms and the sliced ham. Sprinkle with freshly grated cheese and some pepper.8 thin ham slices + 1 cup grated cheese
- Toast the baguettes in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted.
- Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions and serve hot with ketchup.1-2 thin scallions + ketchup to serve
Notes
- Cheese: Gouda, Cheddar, Gruyere, etc.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese contains additives that will prevent it from melting nicely.
Marvellina | What To Cook Today says
I bet this will go down a treat for me. My kids will love this too if I take out the mushrooms ha..ha.. what's wrong with these kids ๐ I love mushrooms!
mjskitchen says
I was looking for something for our lunch tomorrow and here it is. I have all of the ingredients so it obviously was meant to be. Thanks for another recipe idea!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I like both ketchup and Sriracha. I'll probably use both on this for good measure ๐ This looks delicious, Adina!
Sissi says
I haven't been to Poland for many years and haven't heard about all these variations of zapiekanka! I only know the mushroom and mushroom+ham one! Your zapiekanki look fabulous! I also make them quite often when I want something warm, but quick, though they never look even half as good as yours! (By the way, mine are fantastic with the Indian sauce I've recently posted! I forget how often I use it!).
Anca says
Looks amazing! I love this kind of pizzas. Today I've had pizza for breakfast, a naan-pizza, made pretty much the same, but without the mushrooms.
I remember the milk-pizza, not my favourite. :)) I fully agree with your description. My mother used to make another pizza with a thick crepe mix, I liked that a lot. She made the Italian style pizza too, as she had it in Italy, when she went there as a teenager.
Adina says
The milk and egg pizza, I haven't thought about it in a long time and now I was considering if I should make it someday. But I am not sure if anybody except me would eat it... ๐
angiesrecipes says
My kind of food....looks so inviting loaded with mushrooms.