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    Home » Recipes

    Colombian Cheese Arepas from Encanto

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    If you are wondering what bread they are eating in Disney's movie Encanto, it is Colombian Cheese Arepas.

    Arepas are the Colombian daily bread. We eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    Colombian cheese arepa on a plate, split open
    Crunchy on the outside and cheesy inside

    They vary in size, ingredients, fillings and type of corn. There is more than one variety of arepas.

    In Encanto, Julieta Madrigal makes arepas con Queso which are the food that heal the ill. This is a beautiful way to highlight how meaningful arepas are in Colombian culture.

    Although they look like bread, arepas are corn and not flour based. To make them, all you need is precooked cornmeal, water, salt, cheese and butter.

    If you are looking for cheese bread also featured in Encanto, this recipe for Colombian buñuelos is what you need.

    Colombian-Bunuelos on a plate
    Colombian cheese bread buñuelos

    Ingredients for Arepas con Queso

    To make these arepas con queso, you need a melty cheese like shredded mozzarella. Any other cheese blend that melts well works in this recipe.

    I like to use Mexican cheese like Asadero or Quesadilla. They are melty and mild in flavor which compliments the corn flavor.

    As far as the cornmeal, this needs to be a very fine grain corn which yields a smooth dough.

    What to eat with arepas

    Arepas go with pretty much anything. In this case they are stuffed with cheese and people usually add butter on top when ready to eat.

    But they are also great vehicles for all sorts of toppings including shredded meat, smashed avocados, scrambled eggs etc.

    People usually eat these cheese arepas for breakfast with a side of Huevos Pericos or sausage.

    What do arepas taste like?

    Arepas are similar to pupusas from El Salvador or Mexican Gorditas. Think of a hybrid between a thick corn tortilla and a grilled cheese.

    These arepas de queso are basically thick corn patties stuffed with melty oozing cheese.

    How to make cheese stuffed arepas

    There are different methods. I like to use 2 corn dough disks and place the cheese in between them. Cook them in a cast iron skillet until golden brown.

    Other way to make them is to make a thicker corn patty and cook it until golden brown and then slice the arepa to create a pocket and stuff the cheese inside.

    Arepas with Precooked Cornmeal vs Uncooked Cornmeal

    You can make arepas with both precooked or uncooked cornmeal.

    If you use precooked cornmeal, so all you need is room temperature water, salt and cheese to make this arepas. Recipe is below.

    If you don't find pre cooked cornmeal, all you need to do is cook it in boiling water.

    To make the dough with cornmeal, use equal parts of cornmeal and boiling water and cook it until it forms a uniform dough.

    You will need to stir it constantly and it will take about 5-6 minutes. Let it cool down and proceed to form the arepas as noted in the recipe below.

    Arepas with cheese split in the middle on a plate
    Oozing, melty cheese like mozzarella or asadero cheese is ideal for this recipe

    Tips and tricks to make the best arepas, even if it's your first time

    • Pick a finely milled cornmeal (the brand PAN is readily available at most grocery stores).
    • Use warm water to make the dough. It helps softening the mix and yields a smoother dough.
    • Pick a melty cheese such as mozzarella, asadero, quesadilla or a combination of cheeses.
    • If your dough is too wet or sticky add more corn flour.
    • If your dough is too dry, add more liquid. One tablespoon of water a time.
    • Your pan (I recommend a cast iron skillet) should be well oiled and hot.
    • Let your arepas cook throughly on one side before attempting to flip them. This prevents the filling from coming out of the center or your arepa from breaking.
    • You can add cheese to your dough when kneading if you want a cheesier flavor.
    Do Colombian Arepas have rice?

    No. Colombian arepas are made with just corn (cooked cornmeal), water and salt. People sometimes add butter to the dough and/or cheese.

    Colombian arepas with cheese pull on a blue plate

    Colombian Cheese Arepas from Encanto

    Isabel
    These cheese and corn griddle cakes are delicious and easy to make. These are the traditional Colombian breakfast.
    4.94 from 103 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine Colombian
    Servings 3

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Pre cooked cornmeal Harina PAN brand preferably
    • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
    • 1 cup warm water
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon softened butter
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for cooking

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, salt, water and butter.
      1 cup Pre cooked cornmeal, 1 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon softened butter
    • Knead the mix until smooth ball forms.
    • Cover with a towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.
    • Form clementine size balls and flatten them with a plate of tortilla press.
    • You should have 6 discs about 5 inches in diameter.
    • Add mozzarella cheese to the center of one of your discs and cover with an additional corn disc.
      1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
    • Secure the edges by pressing them down and inward. Making sure all the edges are closed so the cheese won't ooze out when cooking.
    • Add the oil to the cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat
      1 tablespoon vegetable oil for cooking
    • Add the arepa to a hot pan or cast iron skillet.
    • Cook on medium high for about 3-4 minutes per side.
    • Serve immediately, add more butter on top for serving if desired
    Keyword arepas, Arepas de queso, Colombian cheese arepas, Colombian food
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sadie

      March 09, 2022 at 12:32 am

      4 stars
      yummy!

      Reply
    2. Lynn

      March 15, 2022 at 10:00 pm

      5 stars
      These were amazing. I used asadero cheese, which had a fabulously creamy and melty quality, and my daughters (avid Encanto fans) gobbled them up. The recipe was super simple and easy to replicate in 20 minutes. The only issue I ran into was, when I flattened out the dough with a plate, the dough wanted to stick to the plate and then kinda squished and broke apart when I peeled it off. This was mitigated with a quick spritz of cooking spray on the plate before each flattening. Simple and so satisfying. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

      Reply
      • Isabel

        March 19, 2022 at 4:42 pm

        Wonderful! Thanks so much for trying the recipe, so glad you loved it!

        Reply
      • Lily

        December 04, 2022 at 1:16 pm

        What did you do with the 1 1 tablespoon of oil in the recipe?

        Reply
        • Isabel

          December 04, 2022 at 5:57 pm

          You add it the skillet to make sure it doesn't stick. If using non stick you can leave out.

          Reply
    3. Angela

      March 21, 2022 at 2:25 am

      Is instant corn flour the same thing as pre-cooked cornmeal? That is all I can find locally.

      Reply
      • Isabel

        March 29, 2022 at 7:38 am

        What brand is the corn flour? I believe you can use it too but might have to adjust the water ratio. If it's not cooked then you will need to boil water and cook the flour to form the dough

        Reply
    4. Jessica

      April 19, 2022 at 7:24 am

      Thank you for sharing your recipe! How thick do you make the discs? An issue I always have is making them too thick, then worrying they aren’t cooked inside. Then the whole process takes waaaay longer than it should! 😁 Thank you!

      Reply
      • Isabel

        April 20, 2022 at 8:20 pm

        I used a tortilla press but a round plate will work too

        Reply
    5. Sharon

      May 10, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      5 stars
      WOW!! My very first time eating, and making, these. They were easy to prepare, easy to cook, and very easy to EAT! Lol
      Next time, I'll try different cheeses. And, without cheese too! They are amazingly filling!

      Reply
      • Isabel

        May 17, 2022 at 10:36 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for trying the recipe.

        Reply
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