Arepas With Cheese
Arepas With Cheese – Made with a mixture of precooked cornmeal and shredded cheese and then filled with more cheese in the center to give you the best arepas you will ever make!
One of the most requested recipes in this blog has been arepas with cheese, just like the ones they have in Disney’s “Encanto”. I would usually let people know that I already have several recipes for all kinds of different arepas on the blog but the requests kept rolling in.
So even though you will find different recipes on this site such as sweetcorn arepas, arepas with cheese and ham, and basic Colombian arepas, today I will show you how I make these delicious arepas filled with cheese at home. They take very little time to make and I can guarantee that you will be making these on repeat.
Ingredients Needed
- Precooked corn meal: Make sure you use precooked cornmeal that indicates it is specifically for making arepas. Other types of flour such as Maseca will not work and neither will regular cornmeal.
- Cheese: My favorite has always been mozzarella. The flavor is not overpowering and it gives you the best texture. I also use string cheese for the filling.
- Butter: I melt it before adding it so it is easier to mix.
- Salt: Use it to taste but don’t skip it or your arepas will be too bland.
- Milk: It not only gives the arepas more flavor but it also makes the dough softer, especially if you use whole milk.
- Water: Make sure it is warm because it will help in binding all of the ingredients.
How To Make Arepas
- Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. The bigger, the better, so that you can comfortably knead the dough.
- Add the butter, milk and water. I always make sure my milk and water are warm so that the dough comes together easily.
- Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth. If you notice that it is too dry, you can add more milk or water. At the same time, if you notice that you have been kneading for a while and the dough does not bind easily, you can add a bit more precooked cornmeal.
- Shape dough into small balls, about the size of a baseball, and then flatten them with the palms of your hands to form a disc.
- Place a piece of string cheese (about 1.5 inches or 4 cm) in the center of the disc. You can add shredded cheese as well to make them cheesier.
- Wrap the disc around the cheese and shape it into a ball. Once you have a round ball, you can flatten it again to form a disc. If you notice that the dough has some cracks around the border you can smooth them out with a bit of water.
- Grill the arepas with an arepa grill, griddle, flat pan, or grilling pan until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Let them cool for a bit before serving.
One thing to keep in mind is that we are only grilling the arepas to toast them. Remember that we are using precooked cornmeal, so they are already cooked even before we place them on the grill.
You can easily serve these arepas with a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate for breakfast, as a delicious snack, or as a light dinner.
¡Buen Provecho!
Arepas With Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups 300 g precooked cornmeal
- 2 cups 200 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 tbsp 42.37 g melted butter
- 1 cup 236 ml warm milk
- 1 cup 236 ml warm water
- Salt to taste
- String cheese cut into 1.5 inch (3.81 cm pieces)
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the precooked cornmeal, shredded cheese, melted butter, and salt.
- Slowly add the milk and water until you get a smooth dough. If you notice that it the dough is too dry, add more milk or water. If it is too runny, add more precooked cornmeal.
- Shape dough into small balls, about the size of a baseball.
- Flatten each ball into a disc using the palms of your hands.
- Place a piece of string cheese in the center. You can add more shredded cheese if you want them extra cheesy.
- Wrap the disc around the cheese to form it into a ball.
- Flatten the ball into a disc once again. You can smooth out any cracks around the border with a little bit of water.
- Grill the arepas with an arepa grill over medium heat until they are golden brown on both sides. You can also use a griddle, pan, or grilling pan with a little bit of butter to grill them.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before serving.
