Gluten Free Bacon Egg Arepa Sandwiches

gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread
“I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for P.A.N. Cornmeal. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

Today is the last installment in the P.A.N. cornmeal series. I’ve shown you guys how to prepare Mexican lasagna (which if you haven’t made this recipe, you should seriously consider it), cornmeal muffins (in a brunch setting), and now a great way to substitute arepas for bread in everyday sandwiches. A and I love breakfast sandwiches – you know, the ones that are stuffed with eggs, bacon, maybe cheese and topped with a big fat bagel or a buttery croissant. We’re not picky. I’m not sure why it never occurred to me before but using arepas in place of the bagel/croissant is a great way to still enjoy a great sandwich without feeling the effects of gluten.

Arepas are surprisingly quite easy to make. Rewind – what are arepas? Arepas are basically Venezuelan muffins – think English muffins. They are crispy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside and made solely with cornmeal and water and salt. Literally three ingredients. Some people add a little bit of oil. I didn’t. Their versatility is astounding – you can substitute them in any sandwich and they take all of 30 minutes to make, including cooking times. In fact, I’m surprised we haven’t see them pop up more often throughout the US considering our love for sandwiches and now gluten-free eating.

This venture into Venezuelan-based cooking has been a ton of fun. I’ve learned a lot and I hope it’s given you some inspiration to go out and grab a bag of cornmeal and see what you can do with it. You can find P.A.N. in Latin American stores so be sure to keep an eye for that bright yellow package. If you’re curious what kind of authentic Venezuelan recipes are out there, be sure to check out P.A.N.‘s tumblr page and use the #PANfan.

gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread
gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread
gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread
gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread
BACON AND EGG AREPA SANDWICHES 
INGREDIENTS
4 arepas (see below)
4 eggs (whisked with 1/4 tsp salt and cooked)
4 cooked bacon slices
 
AREPAS
1 1/4 c water
1 c PAN cornmeal 
1/2 tsp salt 
butter 
 
DIRECTIONS
Whisk PAN and salt together in a bowl. Slowly add water and knead with fingers. Continue kneading dough together until lumps disappear and dough is smooth. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes. Form into 4 smooth balls. Flatten with palms. Place arepas on a lightly oiled cast iron skillet and cook on medium for 8 minutes per side. Bake in an oven or toaster oven on 350F for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully slice open (be careful – arepas will be hot!). Put a dab of butter on each side. Stuff each arepa with egg and bacon. Serve hot. 
 
*Arepa ingredients taken from the P.A.N. cornmeal package recipe.

gluten free bacon egg sandwiches with arepas substituted for the bread

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One Comment

  1. I’ve never had an arepa but I can tell you that I would love it. And how great for you guys that it’s gluten free!!

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