Arepas

This is the Colombian version of a Latin and South American recipe taught to me by my mother-in-law. Great for breakfast just served with butter or various flavors of cream cheese spread on top...or inside like a pocket if you have the extra minute.

Ingredients for about 25 arepas:

• 5 c. milk
• 4 c. water
• 24 oz. bag Goya Masarepa (pre-cooked Harina de Maiz Amarilla)
• 3/4 or 1 stick of butter, depending on taste, cubed
• 1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt, add to taste

Recipe:

1. Heat milk and water together in pot until hot, not boiling
2. Slowly pour and stir into a very large mixing bowl containing bag of masarepa
3. Add butter and salt and continue mixing until mixture has a smooth consistency, almost like past
4. Add cottage cheese and mix in
5. After cottage cheese is incorporated, let sit for 10 minutes while heating griddle (you can use a skillet, but since this recipe is for a tremendous amout of arepas, I recommend the electric griddle to get it done in large batches.
6. Prepare a bowl of water to dunk your hands in before making each arepa
7. Scoop desired amount of dough into hands, form into a thick pancake then place on griddle
8. Dunk hands and repeat

Make them as big or tiny as you desire.  Experiment with different thicknesses to see what you like.  I recommend undercooking slightly so that they reheat without drying out.  When reheating, toaster oven is best, but you can also microwave for about 20 sec between damp paper towels.

Serve a variety of ways:

• Cream cheese (my son demands this pocket style, with the cheese in the middle so his hands don't get messy)
• Butter
• Ham and cream cheese (or any cheese)
• Mozzarella
• Ground beef/chicken/turkey and cheese
• Breakfast sausage (stuffed pocket style with thin sausage patties)
• Bacon

Leave a comment below if you have other suggestions for this recipe or creative ways to serve.

By: Dayce Schrieber

My allergy-free recipes on my blog EverydayIcook.com