Arepa de Queso
User Reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
45 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
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Servings
4 arepas
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Calories
573 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Breakfast, Appetizer, Lunch
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Cuisine
South American, Venezuelan
Arepa de Queso
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Arepa de queso is a traditional cheese-stuffed cornbread that’s popular in Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia and Panama (where it is known as tortilla and changa).
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Ingredients
- 1 cup pre-cooked white maize flour , (E.G. Pan)
- 1 cup water , (at 97 F / 36°C)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter , warmed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter (for cooking)
- 9 oz costeño cheese , (Colombian) or llanero cheese (Venezuelan)
- 4 oz mozzarella
Instructions
- Place the flour and salt into a large bowl, gradually add the water, and mix well by hand.
- Add 4 tablespoons melted butter and a quarter of the cheese, and knead for 15 minutes to obtain a slightly sticky dough. Add more flour (if the dough is too wet) or water (if it’s too dry) as necessary until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
- On a floured work surface, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
- Flatten one with the palm of your hand to form a patty about ¼ inch (5mm thick).
- Heat the rest of the butter in a frying pan or on an electric hotplate.
- Brown the 4 patties over medium heat for 5 minutes, turning them regularly.
- Once the arepas are fried, golden and cooked in the center, very carefully cut them in half (to make two equal circles) without breaking them, and fill with cheese.
- Place the arepas back onto the skillet over a low heat to melt the cheese.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- It is also possible to cook the arepas dry on a hotplate or grill.
- Imagination and creativity are essential for the preparation of arepas: cheese, ham, chicken, pork, avocado, scrambled eggs, onion, tomato, mashed dried beans, vegetables, etc. There are many possibilities, as well as using leftovers.
- The filling will also depend on when they are eaten: in the morning, for breakfast, at noon for lunch, as a snack, or in the evening for dinner.
- It is also possible to enrich the dough with different ingredients to give it color, flavor and texture. For example: add cheese, eggs, milk, oatmeal, chia seeds or mashed or raw vegetables.
- To make the dough very crisp, it is advisable to use very cold water when mixing and kneading the flour.
- Also to obtain a crunchy but very tender dough in the middle, it is advisable to add a few tablespoons of cornstarch to the initial mixture.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
3 reviews
Excellent
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