These Zapiekanki (plural) are very famous on the streets of Poland and are very popular. The word Zapiekanka means to bake the dish until the flavors combine. The sauteed vegetables are layered on one side of the baguette and then topped with cheese and baked until the cheese is all meted. The month of April just flew by and here I am with the last letter of my month-long blogging. Z was an easy alphabet this time around and this Polish Open-Faced Sandwich was one of the very early recipes that I cooked. The boys loved it so much that even before the time came for me to publish it, I made it twice.
Why make this recipe?
When researching for the recipe, all the recipes that I found online were made with mushrooms. Me and my husband do not eat mushrooms and I have never cooked with them before. I was planning on skipping the mushrooms and using just the other vegetables, but my boys, who have fallen in love with mushrooms for the past few months begged me to cook something with them. So, I go to the local store to buy mushrooms and there are so many different ones. My knowledge of mushrooms is limited to what I see on the Food Network and I was able to recognize a couple of names. I randomly stopped another shopper and asked her opinion on what mushroom to buy. She recommended buying the white mushroom for a beginner. I was so scared to buy the whole one and ended up buying the already chopped mushrooms. We could use homemade Baguette or fresh Baguettes from the store to make the Zapiekanka. First, I used half the mushrooms and onions that I have mentioned below, thinking they would be enough. But, I was so wrong. The filling was so delicious that we all loaded up our first batch of the sandwich with the vegetables and had none for the remaining. So, I started off again and sauteed all the vegetables for the second time. Then there is a liberal swirl of ketchup all over the top and that is how it is served. I did not care for the ketchup but my little one who can eat ketchup for a meal, said that this was the best thing ever.
My Other Posts in the A – Z Explore the Flavors Series
A for Akki Roti B for Baghrir with Orange Butter Sauce C for Chickpeas Shawarma D for Double Ka Meetha E for Esquites F for Farro Salad G for Gur Papdi H for Hayagreeva Maddi I for Idli J for Jau Ki Papdi K for Karthigai Pori L for Lemon Chia Seeds Muffin M for Mysore Pak N for Narali Bhath O for Oatmeal Payasam P for Pav Bhaji Q for Quinoa Brown Rice Adai R for Rajgira Aloo Poori S for Samosa T for Thinai Sweet Paniyaram U for Uppittu V for Victorian Milk Bread W for Waffles X for Xni Pec Salsa Y for Yogurt Blueberry Banana Granola parfait
Ingredients needed
Baguette / French Bread - 2 loaves Mushrooms - 2 cups (chopped) Red onions - 2 cups (thinly sliced) Bell pepper - 1 large (thinly sliced) Olive oil - 2 tbsp Crushed red pepper - 1 tablespoon (or to taste) Salt - to taste Cheese (any melting kind) - 1 ½ cups (I used Mexican blend) Ketchup - to serve
Step-by-step process
Preheat the oven to 375 F and layer a large baking sheet with parchment. Chop all the vegetables and get the baguettes ready.
In a cast iron pan, heat the oil. Add the onions, bell pepper, and mushrooms along with salt and crushed red pepper and saute them in medium heat until they are caramelized lightly. Make sure that you cook them in medium heat to release all the natural sweetness.
In the meantime, cut the baguettes into 2 and then slice them in half. We will have 8 bread slices in total. Divide the vegetable filling evenly over the baguette slices and then add a layer of cheese on top.
Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake them until the cheese melts. Takes about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the Zapiekanka from the oven, squeeze the ketchup over it, and serve.
Serving suggestions
Zapiekanka serves as a meal on its own. It is quite filling and does not need much to go with it. A bowl of light soup like Vegetarian Mulligatawny soup or Chinese Hot and sour vegetable soup is a good choice to serve on the side. I also like to serve some light salad along with the sandwich. My top choice is this French Green lentil salad or the simple Garden salad.
Expert Tips
Chop all the vegetables prior to cooking and then the sandwich comes together in minutes. We can have more vegetables such as thinly sliced carrots, broccoli, and zucchini as well. Ketchup and cheese are optional and can be skipped if not a fan. We could use homemade baguette or buy some fresh baguettes from stores to make Zapiekanka.
Frequently asked questions
More Sandwich recipes
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