Baby Arepas Recipe

Baby Arepas

Recipe provided by Franco Noriega

Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 4 to 6 | Total Time: 35 min | Active Time: 30 min

Nutritional Information per Serving (1 of 6 servings): Calories 405, Total Fat 30 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Carbohydrates 25 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugar 1 g, Protein 10 g, Cholesterol 34 mg, Sodium 339 mg

These petite arepas make the ideal small bite. The combination of spicy mayo, creamy avocado, and crunchy chorizo complements the warm, tender arepas wonderfully.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pre-cooked yellow cornmeal (such as P.A.N.)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces Mexican chorizo, casing removed
• 4 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 200F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the water with the cornmeal, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and seasoning (salt and pepper) until smooth. Allow the dough to rest and absorb moisture for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium-high. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and cook the chorizo, breaking it into small pieces with the back of a spoon, until browned and crispy, approximately 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move the cooked chorizo to one side of a baking tray, leaving rendered fat in the pan. Place the tray in the oven to keep the chorizo warm.
4. Lower the heat to medium. Divide the dough into 16 balls, then flatten each ball into disks about 1/2 inch thick and roughly 1 1/2 inches wide using your hands. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet.
5. Cook each arepa until the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until equally browned, another 2 minutes. Sprinkle around 1 tablespoon of Muenster cheese on top of each arepa and cover to melt the cheese, about 1 minute. Transfer finished arepas to the baking sheet with chorizo and return to the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dough and cheese.
6. Combine mayonnaise, chipotle adobo sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir in the chorizo mixture. Top each warm arepa with diced avocado, chorizo mayo, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.