Baked Arepas Con Queso y Huevos

Arepas are sort of like a cross between a tortilla and a pancake - flat Latin American breads made of cornmeal that can be eaten plain or stuffed with cheese, meat, salad, or eggs. In this recipe, I baked them into a delicious Mexican style casserole.

Baked Arepas Con Queso y Huevos 

4 arepas OR arepas con queso (which have a layer of cheese in the middle) - you can find these in the refrigerated ethnic section of your market, near the Mexican cheeses.

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup your favorite salsa (as usual, I used Frontera, one of my favorite brands)

1 cup green enchilada sauce (again I used Frontera brand, which came in a pouch) OR tomatillo salsa

1.5 cups Mexican crema or sour cream

1-2 cups queso fresco (fresh mild Mexican cheese) OR Mexican shredded cheese blend

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder or a few drops of chipotle chili sauce 

1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Sprinkle of salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a bowl, season black beans with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, pinch of salt, and chili powders. Add half of the crema or sour cream and the cilantro directly into the beans and stir to combine.  In a casserole dish, pour a little of the salsa and enchilada sauce just to coat the bottom. Place two arepas in over the salsa and top with a layer of bean mixture. Crumble cheese on top, then add the other two arepas and cover with remaining beans/crema and additional cheese. Add more of salsa and enchilada sauce. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I served this dish with a salad of lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips tossed with low-fat cilantro salad dressing from Trader Joe's. A nice lime or citrus vinaigrette would also work nicely.

The chips I used were Late July brand Organic Mild Green Mojo Chips, delicious multi-grain chips with flavors of garlic, chili, and lime.