Melty cheddar cheese and sweet corn kernels add a special something to these Colombian Arepas!
The last four weeks have been both crazy and awesome.
I traveled to Iowa for CornQuest, flew out to Chicago for the First Annual KitchenAid Retreat, then went down to Colombia to spend a week in Cartagena. Definitely some vastly different territories!
Iowa was amazing (you can read more about it here) and so was Cartagena (you can read more about THAT here), and both left me with a serious hankering for more corn.
Thus, Cheesy Colombian Corn Cakes… Arepas!
These little cakes are perfect when they are right off the griddle and sprinkled with a little salt. I like to eat them with a bit of sour cream (or Greek yogurt!), which is how they were served to me in Colombia.
Arepas are the perfect side dish for just about anything, and they couldn’t be easier to make.
The only ingredient you might need to search for is Harina Blanca (Pre-cooked White Corn Meal)
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Sometimes people just call it PAN, because that’s the most popular brand name. You can find it in some well-stocked grocery stores, any Latin food market, or even order it on Amazon Prime
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Once you locate some Harina Blanca, all that’s left to do is mix it into some salted water, stir in some cheese and corn, form it into little patties, and fry them in butter.
Try serving them alongside this Colombian Beef Stew, these Coriander Lime Chicken Breasts, or just enjoy them on their own!
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Here’s the Recipe!
Cheesy Colombian Corn Cakes Recipe (Arepas Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Harina Blanca Pre-Cooked White Cornmeal
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cooked corn kernels
- 1/2 cup butter for frying
Instructions
- Place the water and salt in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the Harina Blanca until it has evenly absorbed all of the water. Fold in the cheese and corn.
- Form the dough into golf-ball size spheres, then use your hands to pat them into discs about 1/2" thick.
- Melt the butter on a large griddle set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the formed corn patties and fry 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer the cooked arepas to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Serve warm.
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Disclosure: Iowa Corn Grower’s Association partnered with me to sponsor today’s recipe. As always, all opinions, thoughts, and weird ramblings are my own.
Okay, just whipped these up using some Fred Meyer Habanero cheese. These are so easy and delicious I’m actually afraid of what could happen. After all, I did purchase a package of that “Pan” brand harina blanco so will need to use it up. These were a snap to prepare and just melt in the mouth. What a great addition to breakfast!!