Mozzarella Arepas
Corn pancakes layered with melted mozzarella and served hot!
Equipment
- 1 large skillet or griddle (We really love cast iron for this dish, but any frying pan will work!)
- 1 small or large food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 1/4 cups corn flour not corn meal, but corn flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup milk +/- depending upon whether you like thicker or thinner pancakes
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil or olive oil for frying the corn pancakes in the skillet
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place the frozen corn kernels in the bowl of your food processor and puree until almost smooth. There will still be some lumps and that is okay!
- Turn puréed corn out into a mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except for the mozzarella. Stir well.
- Preheat grill or frying pan over medium-high heat. Ladle a little bit of the vegetable oil over the hot surface and swirl pan to cover with oil, or brush oil to cover. Spoon the corn batter onto the griddle in whatever size pancakes you would like to make. We make 4-inch pancakes for a side dish and 2-inch pancakes for an appetizer size.
- Allow pancakes to turn golden-brown on the bottom and then flip to cook the other side.
- Once the second side is cooked, cover the tops of half the pancakes with a slice or two of the mozzarella. Then, leaving the prettiest side up, place the remaining pancakes on top of the mozzarella. Continue to cook just until the cheese is melted and gooey.
- If you want tall arepas, just double up the pancake sandwiches with a layer of cheese in between, for 4-layer arepas.
- Serve hot with your favorite hot sauce, salsa, or dipping sauce.
Notes
By all means, you can make your arepas as hearty as you would like. If you want them as a main course, you can add a layer of meat in between the corn pancakes. If you want them open-faced, then serve single pancakes with topping of your choice on top.
These are so adaptable and allow for a lot of creativity!