Colombian Corn and Cheese Arepas Recipe (2024)

well, to be fair, the recipe asks for two kinds of cheese, and for the second cheese, cotija is clearly the first choice and Parmesan is the third choice. I think the Times is trying to make the recipes adaptable for people who live far from a store that might carry queso fresco or cotija (I used to live in such an area so I am somewhat sympathetic)

Arepas with parmesan may well be the most NYT crossover recipe ever

What a disaster! I'm not sure why - maybe because I substituted different cheese (fontina, cheddar and parmesan) or maybe my pan was too close to the flame? In any case, the first 9 tops turned black before flipping and stuck to the spatula when I tried to turn them. I had to scrape the spatula with a knife and reshape before cooking second side. When I cooked the last three, they caught fire (very dramatic). I think I will make these again but only use a griddle. Sigh!

I would add an extra half a cup of water. 1-1 harina PAN/water ratio makes very dry arepas.

i just made colombian corn and cheese arepas. have been making arepas for my granddaughter for years. (she has celiac cond) these are awful! could not ever have seen a test kitchen. if you want to know what areas should be; go to the restaurant "arepa" on the east side of nyc. this was a waste of time and ingredients.

Definetely not made by a Colombian! COTIJA Cheese?!?! LOLNOPE.

It may help to cook the arepas over low heat on the grill. This way they cook evenly. When I cooked them over high heat the inside was doughy and the outside almost burnt. They are also best cooked at about an inch thick. If they are too thin they will fall apart when cooked. If too thick they will cook unevenly. Ingredient-wise the recipe is spot-on and the quantities are on-point, but be liberal with the cheese, butter, and salt- these are yours to customize!

Masa for arepas is not the same as Masa Harina or other uncooked cornmeal. In the US we generally get PAN or Goya brands. You can not substitute for this, it will not work in this recipe.

The arepas were a great hit! The one thing I would change is to reduce the amount of sugar and increase salt a little.

These are delicious. I’m new to arepas. I expected these to be more of a bread (something I could make a sandwich out of), but they’re not. They’re tender and soft inside. We enjoyed some with a salad, some with a fried egg, and the rest sweetened with apples and honey butter.

Cooking in the oven isn’t as reliable as cooking on the pan. The recipe itself sounds right, the cooking method so-so. I’m not convinced the broiler is the way to go: low visibility, ovens broilers are all so different, the bottom sticks to the aluminum foil too easily (no matter the amount of fat you use on it). Safest method: in a pan, medium heat.

Ideal would be queso costeño but Cotija seems like an alright close approximation. Looking to making arepas this weekend.

Followed the recipe, using the specified ingredients exactly and they turned out beautifully. I've tried many versions of Arepas and this one was the best by far. The next time, I will try adding some fresh corn that I process briefly and mozzarella for a milder taste. And, another time, I'll increase the sugar to make a sweeter Arepa.

Masa for arepas is not the same as Masa Harina or other uncooked cornmeal. In the US we generally get PAN or Goya brands. You can not substitute for this, it will not work in this recipe.

Try using an electric arepea maker which will produce consistent results. They shape the dough balls into disks and cook them in 7 to 10 minutes. The arepea makers come in models which can produce two at a time to larger models for eight at a time.

This is a great recipe for a twist on traditional arepas. I would skip the sugar or reduce it to half. Maybe because the cheese I used was not as salty (fresco and Parmesan), they turned out sweeter than I expected. Colombian arepas are either salty or plain, not sweet. I used the broiler on the oven, but set the pan 6 inches apart from the broiler. Once cooled down a bit they tested great!

Made them as per recipe with mozarela and cotija cheeses.Cooked under the broiler,but farther from the heat element,probably around six or seven inches on a non stick foil lined cookie sheet.They turned crusty outside and creamy and well cooked inside.

I make arepas often. This recipe turned out good. I prefer adding mozzarella cheese.

It may help to cook the arepas over low heat on the grill. This way they cook evenly. When I cooked them over high heat the inside was doughy and the outside almost burnt. They are also best cooked at about an inch thick. If they are too thin they will fall apart when cooked. If too thick they will cook unevenly. Ingredient-wise the recipe is spot-on and the quantities are on-point, but be liberal with the cheese, butter, and salt- these are yours to customize!

Agreed with the comment about Parmesan-- Colombians would never use it in making arepas. If you don't have access to queso blanco or paisa (Colombian cheeses), use mozzarella.

This recipe, as written, makes something yummy and wonderful. My Italian visitor thought they were to die for. I now make a batch of dough and keep it in the fridge so I can make one for a quick lunch or breakfast.

Reduce cheeseMake 1” thick or less

Definetely not made by a Colombian! COTIJA Cheese?!?! LOLNOPE.