Chipa Paraguaya
A warm, cheese-filled cornmeal bread with a slightly dense, moist crumb and savory flavor. This Paraguayan staple pairs perfectly with morning coffee or as a side to any meal.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 9g
Ingredients
- 2 cups cornmeal (polenta or masa harina)
- 1.5 cups fresh mozzarella or mild cheese, cut into small cubes
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Cut the mozzarella into small cubes roughly the size of a die—about 0.5 inch on each side—and set them in a small bowl next to your workspace.
- 3
Crack the 3 eggs into a large bowl and whisk them with a fork until the yolks and whites are completely combined and uniform in color, about 30 seconds.
- 4
Pour the 1 cup of milk into the bowl with the eggs and whisk until completely mixed with no streaks, about 15 seconds.
- 5
Add the 2 cups of cornmeal to the milk-and-egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry cornmeal remains and the batter is thick and uniform.
- 6
Stir in the 0.25 cup of melted butter, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar until fully combined.
- 7
Fold the mozzarella cubes into the batter using a rubber spatula, lifting batter from the bottom of the bowl up and over the cheese, rotating the bowl a quarter turn and repeating until no pockets of unmixed batter remain.
- 8
Grease an 8-inch round cake pan or a loaf pan with butter or oil, then pour the batter into it and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
- 9
Slide the pan into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- 10
Remove the pan from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a trivet or heat-safe surface for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- 11
Run a thin knife around the edges of the bread to loosen it from the pan, then turn the bread out onto a cutting board or serving plate.
- 12
Slice the chipa into 8 wedges or pieces and serve warm.
Tools you’ll need
- oven
- 8-inch round cake pan or loaf pan
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- fork
- measuring cups and spoons
- oven mitts
- trivet or heat-safe surface
- thin knife
- cutting board or serving plate
- toothpick
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