Colombian · Lunch & handhelds

Arepa con queso

Name: Arepa con queso
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 arepas
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups warm whole milk; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 teaspoons for the griddle; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups precooked white cornmeal for arepas; 1 cup finely grated queso costeño or crumbled feta; 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, divided into 8 compact portions

Colombian white-corn arepas enriched with salty and melting cheeses, griddled until crisp-spotted and filled with a molten cheese center.

About 1 hr 5 minTotal

About 55 minActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 8 arepas

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 arepas

2 1/2 cups warm whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 teaspoons for the griddle
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups precooked white cornmeal for arepas
1 cup finely grated queso costeño or crumbled feta
8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, divided into 8 compact portions

Instructions

Whisk warm milk, melted butter, and salt. Sprinkle in precooked cornmeal while stirring; knead in queso costeño until smooth and soft, then rest covered for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into eight. Cup each piece in one palm, place one mozzarella portion in the center, pinch closed, and pat into a disc about 4 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Smooth any cracks with damp fingers.
Heat a lightly buttered over medium-low. Cook arepas, turning every 3 minutes, until crisp-spotted, the sides feel firm, and the cheese center melts, 12 to 15 minutes total.
Stand arepas 2 minutes so the molten cheese settles, then serve hot. If an arepa is browning before its sides firm, lower the heat and cover the pan briefly rather than scorching it.

ColombiaColombian household and street cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Colombian arepas con queso enrich precooked cornmeal dough with salty cheese and often milk or butter, then enclose additional melting cheese before slow griddle cooking.

Colombia has hundreds of regional arepas; no single cheese arepa represents them all. This is the widely recognizable precooked-white-corn form with salty cheese in the dough and melting cheese enclosed, distinct from the thicker split Venezuelan arepa in LU040. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Combine salty queso costeño character with accessible mozzarella melt, using milk and butter in the dough in the richly cheesy Colombian style documented by home cooks.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe