Zapiekanki – zucchini and bacon hot baguettes
Zapiekanki with zucchini and bacon is an original version of a classic dish, beloved by many, often referred to as Polish fast food. A traditional zapiekanka is a baguette with mushrooms, onion and cheese, usually enriched with ham, fresh vegetables or additions from a jar, and the obligatory sauce – ketchup or mayonnaise.
In the zucchini season, it is worth reaching for a more interesting version of this dish and replacing the classic mushroom filling with an aromatic zucchini filling. I prepare the filling for the zucchini zapiekanka from grated zucchini fried in olive oil with garlic and oregano. I season it with salt and pepper. After cooling slightly, I add grated cheese to the filling, which gives the zapiekanka a unique, stringy consistency.
I spread the prepared zucchini filling on halves of a baguette and then arrange pieces of bacon on top, which adds aroma to the dish during baking. I bake the homemade zucchini and bacon zapiekanki prepared in this way in a preheated oven until the bun is crispy and the cheese in the filling is well melted.
This tasty oven dish is perfect for dinner, lunch, a party snack or a warm appetiser for guests. Zucchini zapiekanki are a great alternative to the classic version with mushrooms, ideal for summer and beyond.
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Ingredients for zapiekanki – zucchini and bacon hot baguettes.
- 350 g zucchini
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 4 slices of cooked and smoked bacon
- 100 g grated cheese
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 small baguettes
- 1 big clove of garlic
How to make zapiekanki – zucchini and bacon hot baguettes.
Grate the washed and pat-dried zucchini with the skin on using the large holes of a grater. Heat olive oil in a pot, add a garlic clove pressed through a press and fry for several seconds. Then add the grated zucchini, dried oregano, pepper and salt and fry everything on medium heat – a small burner – for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the zucchini juice has completely evaporated. Cool the fried zucchini and when cool, add the grated cheese and mix thoroughly.
Cut the bacon slices into 1.5-2 centimetre wide pieces. Cut the baguettes in half lengthwise. Place the halves on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and carefully spread the previously prepared zucchini and cheese filling on each. Arrange the bacon pieces evenly on top.
Place the prepared zucchini and bacon baguettes in an oven preheated to 185 degrees Celsius and bake for 15 minutes: 12 minutes in the top-bottom baking mode, and the last 3 minutes with the grill option to make the bacon crispy.
Homemade zucchini and bacon zapiekanki taste best served immediately after baking, by themselves or with sauce. They go great with garlic sauce or a hot chilli sauce.
Good to know when making zapiekanki – zucchini and bacon hot baguettes.
The zucchini should be fried until all of its juice has evaporated. This is important if you want the zucchini filling not to be too wet. Too much juice will soak up the baguettes, which will cause the zapiekanki to lose their crispiness.
To prepare zucchini and bacon baguettes, I use bacon bought in slices. It is important that it is cooked and smoked bacon, because raw bacon requires a much longer baking time. Alternatively, instead of slices, you can use diced bacon.
Importantly, homemade zucchini zapiekanki are suitable for freezing. Simply wrap each one tightly in cling film and place in the freezer. Before baking, the zapiekanki should be removed, defrosted and baked.
Do you like dishes with zucchini? If so, try our recipe for Cheese and zucchini muffins.
