Colombian · Breakfast

Arepas con queso

Warm corn cakes carry grated cheese through the dough and a melting cheese centre. A slow griddle cook develops a lightly crisp crust while keeping the inside soft, making a satisfying breakfast with a simple ingredient list.

VegetarianEasy8 arepas; 2 per serving
Arepas con queso serving inspiration

Serving inspiration; this recipe’s finish may vary. Photo: Jess Lander from Culver City, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display may crop to fit.

Ingredients

Original recipe: 8 arepas; 2 per serving. Ingredient amounts scale below; the method is written for 4 servings. For larger amounts, use separate batches and check doneness.

  • 300 gprecooked white cornmeal for arepas, gluten-free
  • 420 mlwarm water
  • ½ tspsalt
  • 240 gvegetarian mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
  • 25 gunsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tbspneutral oil for the griddle

Make it

  1. Mix warm water, salt and melted butter in a bowl. Gradually stir in the precooked cornmeal, then knead in half the cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes until the dough absorbs the moisture.
  2. Divide the dough into eight pieces and the remaining cheese into eight portions. Flatten each piece, add cheese in the centre and close the dough around it.
  3. Pat each filled ball into a disc about 9 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick, sealing the edges with damp fingers. Keep the shaped arepas covered while heating the griddle.
  4. Brush the griddle with oil and heat over medium-low. Cook arepas in two batches for 5–6 minutes per side, until golden, with a cooked soft centre and melted cheese; lower the heat if the crust browns before the middle warms.
  5. Serve two arepas per person while warm. Split one to check the interior if unsure; it should not contain loose dry cornmeal.
Ingredients, recipe context & sources

Ingredient flags: Milk. Check packaged ingredients and cross-contact.

This is an original Livura home-cooking interpretation, not yet independently kitchen-tested. Source links provide dish and cultural context; the recipe wording and quantities are Livura’s.

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