Cheese-Stuffed Colombian-style Arepas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of cheese is best for arepas? ›

Colombian-style queso fresco is ideal. If you can't find it, substitute cotija, ricotta salata, or feta. Arepas can also be cooked on a greased panini press or a grill over low heat.

These corn griddle cakes are common in both countries — but in very differing styles. Venezuelan arepas are usually savory and stuffed with meat, cheese, and beans. Colombian arepas can be sweet, and are usually topped only with butter and quesito colombiano.

Arepas con Queso Ingredients:

10 oz (weigh) pre-cooked white corn flour or masarepa. 1 oz unsalted butter, soft + more for cooking (if browning too much, use olive oil) 2 ½ oz low moisture mozzarella, shredded. Optional: 8-16slices deli-sliced mozzarella cheese.

Traditionally, arepas are made by soaking and pounding dried corn in a pilón—a large mortar and pestle. The moist pounded dough would then be shaped into cakes and cooked. These days, most folks buy pre-cooked, dehydrated masarepa—arepa flour—that only needs to be mixed with water and salt to form a dough.

Quesito Colombiano can be compared to Mexican Queso Fresco, and is made by simply processing the curds of cow's milk. The result is a creamy, soft and white cheese. We Colombians love our Quesito and it is widely used in Colombian cuisine.

Dictionary of Colombian Cheeses

Quesito – A traditional Antioquian cheese, quesito is basically cuajada with salt added. Queso – Simply called “queso” on packages, but also known as “queso blanco,” it's a denser version of cuajada. Campesino – A semi-hard, more rubbery, version of cuajada.

Gorditas Are a Mexican Specialty

Gorditas resemble arepas, but like pupusas, they are made with masa harina. These corn cakes are deep fried until they are golden and crispy (but they can also be cooked on a griddle or comal).

Masarepa is the flour of choice for making arepas. Masa harina, on the other hand, is made from corn treated with lye in a process called nixtamalization in order to remove the germ and outer lining before it is ground.

What exactly are Colombian arepas? Arepas are mostly known as corn cakes made out of corn dough or precooked corn flour in a flat circular shape, similar to a pancake.

place the other half of the still-warm arepa over the toppings and gently press down. You want the cheese, sauces and sour cream to melt into each other and create a warm-cool dynamic. Let it sit a minute or so. Eat your sandwich as Venezuelans do – with your hands!

Is the arepa Venezuelan or Colombian? ›

The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Instruments used to make flour for the arepas, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area.

The Puerto Rican version of the arepa is almost always made with wheat or coconut flour instead of corn flour, more common in South America. Puerto Rican arepas tend to be smaller than those found south of the equator, and can be served stuffed – typical across Latin America - or plain, more akin to a fry bread.

Let them cool. If you cut them still hot, they will be doughy in the middle.

Given how humid your environment is and how thick you make your Arepas will determine the texture of the interior. Too much water in the mixture and the inside might be a bit sticky or gummy. Not enough water and the dough will crack and won't hold the shape.

Grilled vegetables: Grilled vegetables, such as bell peppers, onions, and zucchini, are a delicious and healthy side dish to serve with arepas. They add color and flavor to the meal, and can be cooked on the same grill as the arepas. Cheese: Cheese is a common filling for arepas, and can also be served as a side dish.

Swap option: My family likes to open the arepa, spread butter on the inside, and fill with queso blanco (typically labeled "Colombian cheese" in supermarkets), turkey and ham slices, avocado slices and served with fried or scrambled eggs. Use whatever your favorite fillings are!

Queso de mano ("cheese of the hand") is a type of soft, white cheese (queso fresco) most commonly associated with Venezuelan cuisine. It is most often used as a filling for arepas and cachapa. The taste and consistency of the cheese most closely resembles that of mozzarella but is built up in layers.

Queso bianco is a native Venezuelan cheese and is con- sidered to be the most popular in the country. It is made from whole or partially skimmed cow's milk, which may or may not be pasteurized.

Queso Llanero, a very typical Venezuelan cheese, is an aged, hard and dry white cheese. It is used shredded to top eggs or of course in arepas with black beans. Nata, great on everything, with arepas, eggs and madocas.