Cheesy Arepas
About this recipe
Cheesy arepas are a delicious twist on the traditional cornmeal cakes, perfect for any meal or snack. This recipe from Cooking Con Claudia highlights how easy it is to make these cheesy delights at home, inspired by various Latin American cuisines.
With a combination of queso cotija and your favorite melting cheese, these arepas are not only cheesy but also incredibly satisfying. Whether you're enjoying them plain or stuffed with more cheese, they're sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredient notes
- You can use up to 3 3/4 cups of warm water if needed.
- For the melting cheese, you can substitute with queso Oaxaca or mozzarella, but Claudia prefers a mix of Monterey Jack and queso Oaxaca.
Tips from Cooking Con Claudia's video
- If your dough feels a little dry, just add more water!
- Use your pinky as a guide to flatten the arepas to about a quarter of an inch thick, ensuring there are no cracks.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Cooking Con Claudia: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Start by gathering all your ingredients: 4 cups of precooked cornmeal, 1 cup of queso cotija, 2 cups of your favorite melting cheese, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- 2
In a bowl, combine 3.5 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir until the butter melts.
- 3
Add 4 cups of cornmeal and 1 cup of queso cotija to the bowl. Mix well.
- 4
Incorporate 2 cups of your chosen melting cheese into the mixture and combine until the dough is soft.
- 5
Cover the dough and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- 6
Preheat your comal (griddle) on medium heat and have some water nearby.
- 7
Wet your hands with water, then take a piece of dough (about the size of a baseball) and form it into a ball.
- 8
Create a bowl shape with the dough and stuff it with shredded cheese.
- 9
Seal the dough around the cheese and flatten it to about a quarter of an inch thick, ensuring there are no cracks.
- 10
Repeat the process for the remaining dough to form all arepas.
- 11
Butter the comal and place the arepas on it. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
- 12
After 4 minutes, flip the arepas and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown.
- 13
Remove the arepas from the comal and serve hot. You can cut them open to stuff them further.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The amount of water can vary slightly based on the dough consistency.
Credit where it's due: this recipe was transcribed from Cooking Con Claudia's original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it's their dish.
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