Zapiekanka, which is often referred to as Polish pizza, is an incredibly easy recipe to make! It's essentially a split baguette topped with sautéed mushrooms and onions, finished with melted cheese and a squirt of ketchup.
Zapiekanka (pronounced: zah-pee-kahn-kah / plural: zapiekanki) is a unique open-faced sandwich hailing from communist Poland in the 1970s. In Polish, the word “zapiekanka” is used for any casserole-style dish, as it comes from the verb zapiekać, which means “to bake.”
This popular and cheap street food was originally not very appetizing. Initially, zapiekanka was a basic soft sandwich roll with overcooked mushrooms, and a bit of cheese and ketchup. It fell out of style with the reintroduction of the market economy in the 1990s but has made a comeback in years since.
Nowadays, it’s improved in quality with better ingredients and a bit more inspiration. Zapiekanki are particularly popular at food stands in Kraków and are a great late night snack after a night of drinking.
Even though zapiekanka doesn’t have a tomato sauce base like many traditional pizzas, calling it a Polish pizza isn’t much of a stretch. It has most of the same elements: a bready base, a cloak of gooey melted cheese, and other flavorful toppings (most traditionally mushrooms).
Also, it's finished with tangy ketchup which is technically a type of tomato sauce. But don't let the ketchup scare you off. It adds a bit of sweetness to the delightful combination of bread, mushrooms, and cheese to balance out all that umami flavor!
In Poland there are many creative adaptations to zapiekanka with various toppings including meats, other vegetables, olives, feta cheese, and even pineapple!
Ingredient notes
- Baguette: To make four servings you may use one long baguette, cut in half crosswise and then sliced in half lengthwise to yield four quarters. If you can find them, two demi baguettes (which are half the length of regular baguettes) can also be used. Simply halve the demi baguettes lengthwise to yield your four baguette pieces for the recipe.
- Mushrooms: Traditionally, zapiekanka is made with white button mushrooms. However you could get creative and use a mixture of wild mushrooms or even simply upgrade to cremini mushrooms if you’d like.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is not very traditional in zapiekanki but I think it adds great flavor to the mushrooms and is worth including.
- Cheese: Some of the more popular options for grated cheese on zapiekanki are gouda (used in the photos), edam, emmental, or even cheddar. Low-moisture mozzarella cheese can also be used, though it doesn’t provide as much flavor as the aforementioned cheeses. Regardless of the type of cheese, be sure to grate it yourself with a box grater. Store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents and won't melt as smoothly.
- Note that these cheeses are typically made with animal rennet which means they aren't vegetarian. If you're vegetarian, use a vegetarian style cheese instead. For example, Boar's Head makes several options that could work here.
- Ketchup: I prefer ketchup that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. Many major brands (such as Heinz) now sell versions of their ketchup without artificial sweeteners, but you can use whatever kind of ketchup you have on hand.
How to make it
Add butter or oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms and onions until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add minced or crushed garlic, and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
To assemble your Polish pizzas, arrange baguette pieces on a baking sheet. Spread ¼ of the mushroom mixture over each baguette piece to cover evenly (PHOTO 1). Top each with ¼ of the grated cheese (PHOTO 2).
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 to 12 minutes. The cheese should be melted and bubbly and the edges should be golden brown (PHOTO 3). Drizzle the tops with ketchup and finish zapiekanki with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives (PHOTO 4). Serve hot.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
To make ahead, you may cook the mushroom and onion mixture and also grate the cheese and store both in the refrigerator until ready to use. Then simply split your baguette, assemble, and bake.
Some people don't sauté the mushrooms in advance, and instead add the raw mushrooms to the Polish pizzas before baking. I highly encourage you to sauté your mushrooms with the onions (and garlic) as indicated below. It makes all the difference in developing great flavor!
Other recipes you may like
- Flammkuchen / Tarte Flambée (Flatbread Pizza with Bacon and Onions)
- Mushroom Gruyère Grilled Cheese
- One Pot French Onion Soup Pasta with Mushrooms
- Chinese Stir-Fried Oyster Mushrooms with Chicken
- Uitsmijter (Dutch Ham, Gouda and Egg Sandwich)
- Obložené Chlebíčky (Czech Open Faced Sandwiches)
- Pepito (Mexican Steak Sandwich)
- Zupa Pomidorowa (Polish Tomato Soup)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Zapiekanka (Polish Pizza)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
- 1 pound (450 grams) white button mushrooms chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 large baguette (cut in half crosswise and sliced lengthwise) or 2 demi baguettes (sliced lengthwise)
- 2 cups (150 grams) grated gouda, edam, emmental, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese
- Ketchup for garnish
- Chopped parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the butter or oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the garlic, and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
- Arrange baguette pieces on a baking sheet. Spread ¼ of the mushroom mixture over each baguette piece to cover evenly. Top each with ¼ of the grated cheese.
- Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden brown.
- Drizzle the tops generously with ketchup and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives. Serve hot.
Notes
- To make four servings you may use one long baguette, cut in half crosswise and then sliced in half lengthwise to yield four quarters. If you can find them, two demi baguettes (which are half the length of regular baguettes) can also be used. Simply halve the demi baguettes lengthwise to yield your four baguette pieces for the recipe.
- Some of the more popular options for grated cheese on zapiekanki are gouda, edam, emmental, or even cheddar. Mozzarella cheese (low-moisture, not fresh) can also be used, though it doesn’t provide as much flavor as the aforementioned cheeses. Regardless of the type of cheese, be sure to grate it yourself. Store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents and won't melt as smoothly.
- Note that these cheeses are typically made with animal rennet which means they aren't vegetarian. If you're vegetarian, use a vegetarian style cheese instead. For example, Boar's Head makes several options that could work here.
- Minced garlic is not very traditional in zapiekanki but I think it adds great flavor to the mushrooms and is worth including.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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