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Open Face Sandwich with Mushroom and Cheese is a famous Polish street food called Zapiekanka or Zapiekanki in the plural. You can find them on every corner in Poland.
What is the Origin of Polish Open Face Sandwich Called Zapiekanka
If you’ve ever gone to Poland, I’m sure you’ve heard about Zapiekanki. We Poles love them! They are super simple and delicious. They really only have four ingredients: bread, mushrooms, cheese, and ketchup. What’s not to love?
When I was a kid, I wanted to have Zapiekanki every day. It’s similar to my 3-year-old who requests pizza for dinner every night. I was actually thinking about the origin of Zapiekanki and I think that it might be the Polish version of pizza.
In the former communist imposed Poland, we didn’t have pizza readily accessible. I should actually say that we didn’t have pizza at all. So what did we Poles do? We invented our own version of ” Polish pizza”...on a piece of bread…You can read more about the origin of Zapiekanka on Wikipedia.
What Is Needed To Make Zapiekanka
Because Zapiekanka is so super simple, it can be easily made at home. You’ll need:
- A good baguette – My local Trader’s Joe has half baguettes, which are perfect for this recipe. However, if you cannot find half baguettes, obviously just get a whole one and cut in in a half.
- Mushrooms – There are actually two ways to use mushrooms for Zapiekanki. One where you sauté them with a little bit of butter and salt & pepper. The other one you’ll simply shred fresh mushrooms and place them on the bread. I like both versions, but I usually make mine with sautéd mushrooms. That’s just a personal preference. But if you want to go for the easier version without extra cooking, your Zapiekanka will still be very delicious.
- Cheese – I used a Mexican blend in this recipe, but any well-melting cheese or combination of cheeses will do well. You can use cheddar, monster, mozzarella, whichever you prefer.
- Ketchup;
- Scallions or Chives for garnish.
How to Make Polish Open Face Sandwich with Mushroom and Cheese
Here’s how to assemble this fantastic and super easy Open Face Sandwich with Mushroom and Cheese:
Step 1: Grab your baguette. Slice your mushrooms and sautéd them with 1 tablespoon of butter, and some salt and pepper for about 5 minutes until nice and soft.
Step 2: Cut your baguette in half lengthwise and add your mushrooms;
Step 3: Add shredded cheese.
Step 4: Bake your Zapiekanki in the 375 F oven for a few minutes. Afterward, you can also put them under the broiler for a few minutes to have your cheese extra bubbly.
Step 5: After your Zapiekanka is cooked, add Ketchup and sprinkle with some scallions or chives. And your Open Face Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich, aka ‘Zapiekanka,’ is done! Enjoy this awesome Polish treat with friends.
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- Grab your baguette.
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- Saute your mushrooms.
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- Cut your baguette in half lengthwise.
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- Add mushrooms onto your baguette.
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- Add shredded Cheese and Bake
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- Add ketchup and Scallions.
Other Recipes With Mushrooms to Try:
- Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce
- Mushroom Peso Toasts with Fontina Cheese
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Fresh Dill
- Mushroom Pork Chops with Herbs and Butter
- Mushroom Veggie Burger with Black Beans
Zapiekanka (Open Face Sandwich with Mushroom and Cheese)
Ingredients
- 1 half Baguette Cut lengthwise
- 8 oz Mushrooms Chopped or shredded white button or Baby Bella
- 1 tablespoon Butter unsalted (if you using sauted mushrooms)
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese (Mexican blend, or cheddar, or monster, or mozzarella)
- Ketchup (use as much or as little as you like)
- Chopped chives or scallions for extra flavor
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- In a saute pan melt butter and add mushrooms.
- Add salt and pepper and saute mushrooms for 5-7 minutes.
- Cut your baguette in half lengthwise. Add mushrooms on each half of baguette.
- Add shredded cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes.
- You may want to also place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for extra browning.
- Once cooked, add ketchup and sprinkle with chives or scallions.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on June 10, 2016, and was since updated to provide additional information.
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I love trying new recipes and this looks so good! Perfect for a weekend lunch.
It is perfect for weekend lunch 🙂
Polish food is one of my favorite cuisines, I wish more people endeavored in making it. Some of the very BEST food is Polish Street foods. I can’t wait to make this recipe.
That is true 🙂
I’m all about open faced sandwiches lately and I love how delicious and unique this open face mushroom sandwich is, yum!
Thank you. I’m sure you’ll like it 🙂
I can’t wait to try this! I’ve never been to Poland, but I hope to go one day – but in the meantime I’ll have to settle for trying some polish recipes!
Try some! You will love them:)
omg i love these. The best thing in the world was running into a little stand selling these. I remember always being thrilled to go to the train station in Krakow because there was usually a seller outside. . . when I went back 7 years ago I was so excited to find they were still there (I used to go when I was a kid- in my mid 40’s now lol)
I totally understand! I was eating them as a kid all the time!
I’ve heard so many people talk about how amazing polish dishes turn out to be! Surely, trying this out at the soonest!
Perfect. I’m sure you’ll love it.
This looks so yummy!! Gotta make it
Thank you. I’m sure you’ll love it.
So mouthwatering! I have never tried such combination but i have heared about it. It’s loking so delicious and so tasty. I just can’t wait to try this at home. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us. I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much for sharing this great post. Do keep sharing.
Thank you so much Surpiya!