A Polish Zapiekanka is a very common open faced sandwich sold by street vendors all over Poland.  It’s a delicious warm treat covered with sautéed mushrooms and onions, melted cheese and a drizzle of Polish ketchup.  I used to eat these all the time as a kid and now make them at home for my family.  All you need are 4 ingredients to make the perfect street food snack.

Sauté the veggies.

The key ingredient in a Polish Zapiekanka are mushrooms and onion.  To start, finely chop the mushrooms along with an onion. On a hot pan or cast iron, melt some butter and add in the chopped veggies.  Over low heat continue to sauté until the mushrooms and onions are soft. 

Time to assemble the Polish Zapiekanka

Street vendors usually make Polish Zapiekanki on the grill giving them a hint of smokiness from the charcoal.  While most Polish people replicate this recipe at home in the oven, I wanted that true flavor from my childhood memories and made mine the old school way on the grill.  

Before you get grillin, you need to assemble the sandwich.  I used a french baguette, but any elongated bread will work.  Just make sure that it’s not thick.  Slice the baguette down the middle to form an open faced sandwich.  Spread some butter for the base and then generously top it with the sautéd veggies.  

Next, shred some soft Gouda cheese over the top.  Mozzarella or cheddar will also work, however, Gouda is most representative of traditional Polish cheese flavor.  

Preheat the grill to 350 degrees and set for indirect heat.  Place the Polish Zapiekanka on the grill and let it heat up for about 5-8 minutes for the cheese to melt over the mushrooms.  

Drizzle some Polish Ketchup and freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

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