Zapiekanka is a Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 halved baguette

Baguette

A baguette is "a long thin loaf of French bread" that is commonly made from basic lean dough...

 or bread topped mainly with mushrooms and cheese

Cheese

Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....

, also ham

Ham

Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...

 or other types of meat, and vegetables. Beside some basic version there are several recipes like Zapiekanka "Hawaiian" with pineapple, "Greek" with olives and feta cheese etc. They are usually placed in an oven until the cheese is melted and the baguette

Baguette

A baguette is "a long thin loaf of French bread" that is commonly made from basic lean dough...

 or bread is crispy. It is served scalloped and most of the time topped with dressings like ketchup

Ketchup

Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...

 and chives. It is a very popular low-cost fast food in Poland. Sidewalk sale prices range between 3 and 7 zł for an approx. 25–50 cm long Zapiekanka.

Very popular type of Zapiekanka is a "student's zapiekanka", sometimes also called "whatever zapiekanka". It is made of whatever is at home at the moment, and the only compulsory ingredients are bread and cheese. It's very commonly served (as an alternative to sandwiches) to unexpected guests if the host has nothing else to serve. It's also a quick dish for students, sometimes even takes less time to make than an instant soup. As it can be stored in fridge before baking, many students prepare a full plate of them at the weekend so that they have something quick and nutritious to eat for the whole week.