Corn Arepas
Spice up supper time with this tasty and trendy Latin street dish. Miniature masa pancakes are stuffed with melted cheese and corn, then pan-fried to crispy perfection.
Take a virtual trip to Latin America this week by trying some delicious cheesy corn arepas. While flour may be hard to find, harina de maiz was available in the baking aisle and if you have some on hand at home, you won’t need to make any special trips for this recipe.
Serve as an appetizer, or make a meal with the arepas by serving with some black beans and rice for a perfect meatless Monday meal. While the recipe calls for fresh buffalo mozzarella, you can always substitute with any mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese you have on hand. Cheddar would be a little too greasy, so stick with a white melty cheese if possible.
Take advantage of the sale on fresh corn, zucchini and tomatoes at Safeway to make Arepas for dinner this week.
Ingredients in Arepas
- 2 cups harina de maíz corn meal
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 3-6 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1/4 cup red onion slices
- 1 zucchini, cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño, cut into small dice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- juice of 1 lime
- 8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into small pieces
How to Make Arepas
Step 1
Mix the harina de maíz and 2 teaspoons salt. Add the water and whisk to remove any lumps. Stir until combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes covered with a dish towel.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 400°. Using your hands, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten gently to create a disk, about 1/2-inch thick. Heat a thin layer of avocado oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the disks 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until mostly golden brown. Cool and drain on paper towel lined plate.
Step 3
Place packets onto medium-high heat grill and cook for 15-18 minutes per side, or until all ingredients reach an internal temperature of 165°.
Step 4
After all the arepas are made, increase heat to medium-high and add corn, zucchini, red onion and jalapeño to the pan. Season with remaining kosher salt and pepper. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until corn makes a popping sound and is slightly caramelized. Squeeze lime over corn.
Step 5
Cut arepas in half and place on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Top with cheese and about 1/4 cup of the corn mixture. Place in oven until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
Note – you do not want to substitute masa harina in this recipe. Harina de maíz is pre-cooked cornmeal which makes the light texture in these arepas.
Corn Arepas
Ingredients
- 2 cups harina de maíz corn meal
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 2 ½ cups warm water
- 3-6 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 1/4 cup red onion slices
- 1 zucchini cut into small dice
- 1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeño cut into small dice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- juice of 1 lime
- 8 ounces fresh buffalo mozzarella cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Mix the harina de maíz and 2 teaspoons salt. Add the water and whisk to remove any lumps. Stir until combined. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes covered with a dishtowel.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Using your hands, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and flatten gently to create a disk, about 1/2-inch thick. Heat a thin layer of avocado oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the disks 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until mostly golden brown. Cool and drain on paper towel lined plate.
- Place packets onto medium-high heat grill and cook for 15-18 minutes per side, or until all ingredients reach an internal temperature of 165°.
- After all the arepas are made, increase heat to medium-high and add corn, zucchini, red onion and jalapeño to the pan. Season with remaining kosher salt and pepper. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until corn makes a popping sound and is slightly caramelized. Squeeze lime over corn.
- Cut arepas in half and place on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Top with cheese and about 1/4 cup of the corn mixture. Place in oven until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.
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* Please note – Savings information is based on Colorado pricing and the Safeway Coupon Policy for the Denver Division which includes Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming and South Dakota. Your market may vary.
