Colombian Cheese Arepas (Arepas de Queso)

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Colombian arepas de queso: the cheese is kneaded into the masarepa dough rather than stuffed inside, so it melts through the whole arepa and stretches when you tear one open. Griddled in butter until the crust is golden and blistered. Six arepas, forty minutes, no oven.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Colombian

Keyword: Colombian arepas with cheese

Servings:

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Angela Giraldo

Ingredients

2 cups precooked corn flour (masarepa) P.A.N., Areparina or Goya; not masa harina and not cornmeal
1 cup warm water
1 cup milk
2 cups grated mozzarella or queso costeño, or any mild fresh cheese that grates and melts
2 teaspoons butter plus a little more for the griddle
Salt, to taste go easy: the cheese is already salty

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the masarepa, the warm water, the milk, the grated cheese, the butter and a little salt.
Knead with your hands until everything is completely worked together and the dough is smooth. If it cracks when you press it, it needs a little more liquid.
Roll the dough into balls (about the size of your fist, which should give you six) and flatten each one with your hands or between two plates.
Heat a skillet or griddle and grease it with a little butter.
Lay the arepas on the griddle and cook over medium heat until each side is golden and lightly blistered, about 5 to 8 minutes a side depending on how thick you made them. Go by the crust rather than the clock, and turn them once.
Serve them hot, while the cheese inside is still soft.

Notes

If the dough cracks at the edges when you flatten it, it is too dry: wet your hands and work a little more water in. Letting the dough sit for five minutes after kneading also helps, since masarepa keeps absorbing liquid for a while after it is mixed, and dough that has rested cracks far less. Arepas de queso are street food in Colombia and are meant to be eaten straight off the griddle; reheated, the cheese firms up and they are never quite the same.

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