Zapiekanka is a Polish open-face sandwich; my version features butter sauteed mushrooms topped with melted Gouda cheese and loads of ketchup!
My take on this street-food favourite is delightfully easy to make and will come together in a little over 30 minutes.
Polish Open-Faced Sandwich
I love me a good sarnie... they feature fairly often here on my website.
Everything from favourites from my childhood, like a sausage and egg sandwich, and a cheese and onion sandwich, to offerings from further afield, like my take on an Argentinian choripan and Vietnamese chicken banh mi.
This "little" munch is a Polish butty; zapiekanka is an open-faced sandwich that dates back to the 70s.
In some circles, it is considered a little cliché, but for many, the love lingers on, and I fully approve.
It features a baguette topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions, which is then cooked with a layer of cheese until it has melted. Then it is topped with loads of tomato ketchup and munched on the go.
It hardly breaks culinary ground, but it is gloriously simple, joyful food that is easy to make, easy to eat and won't break the bank!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a food processor to pulse the mushrooms?
No, that is optional. I like the combination of textures. In this recipe, you get almost a "duxelles" texture with some sliced mushrooms for body.
But you can just go with sliced mushrooms if you prefer.
Can I use different types of cheese?
Yes, knock yourself out. It is traditionally made with a semi-hard cheese with good melting properties.
I use Gouda, but any Swiss cheese would work well; Gruyere is particularly good. You could even use cheddar, although good cheddar would be a bit too bold on the flavour front. I prefer something sweet and nutty.
Do I have to add the ketchup?
No, but this is my "homage" to an old-school street food classic, and ketchup would have been the way to go.
But there are countless variations on this that add everything from ham and bacon to pineapple and BBQ sauce.
I have taken to making this with HP brown sauce as well, and it is superb!
Serving Suggestions
Zapiekanka is considered street food in Poland, and this open sandwich would be picked up from stalls and eaten on the go.
I like to turn my version of this open-faced sandwich into a meal at home.
Inevitably, that means the addition of some form of potato side and pickles, of course!
Here I have gone for some air fryer cooked French fries. But everything from my chippy chips to crispy straw potatoes would work wonderfully.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- Oven.
- Baking tray.
- Spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups, and spoons.
Polish Zapiekanka Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g Mushrooms 2-3 Cups
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 35 g Butter 2 Tbsp
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Small Baguette 200g
- 100 g Gouda Cheese 1 Cup
- Tomato Ketchup (loads of it)
- 1 Handful Fresh chives
Instructions
- Add half of the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse them to form a coarse crumb, and finely slice the remaining mushrooms.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
- Heat a 25cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat, and add the butter. When it begins to foam, add the onion, pulsed and sliced mushrooms. Season with the salt and pepper and fry for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly.You want to have a fairly "dry" mushroom paste by the time that this is cooked.
- Grate the cheese.
- Finely chop the chives.
- Split the baguette in half, and pick out a little of the bread from the middle to create a "boat" for the mushrooms to sit in.
- Place the two halves of the baguette on a baking tray and divide the mushroom and onion mixture between the two halves.
- Sprinkle over some of the chives (reserving some for garnish), followed by the cheese.
- Transfer the tray to the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes at 200°C or 390°F, or until the cheese has completely melted.
- Remove from the oven, squirt over loads of ketchup and sprinkle with the remaining chives.
