Papas Chorreadas
A beloved Colombian comfort dish of tender boiled potatoes smothered in a warm, creamy cheese sauce made with fresh cheese, heavy cream, and sautéed onions. The sauce is laced with a hint of garlic and finished with fresh cilantro and green onions for brightness and color.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- Serves 4 as a side dish
Steps
Before you start
- Fill a large pot with cold salted water and bring to a boil
- Prepare a cutting board and have all ingredients prepped and measured before you start cooking
- Use waxy or yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold) that hold their shape when boiled, not starchy russet potatoes
Boil the potatoes
- Add the prepared potatoes to the pot of boiling salted water.
- Bring back to a boil and cook at a medium boil for 15–18 minutes, until a fork pierces the largest chunk with just a little resistance (you want them tender but not mushy).
- While the potatoes cook, prepare the sauce ingredients.
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Ready when: A fork inserted into the center of a potato piece goes through with slight resistance; potatoes are just tender
Tip: Do not overcook—soft or falling-apart potatoes won't hold their shape when sauced.
Start the cheese sauce
- While the potatoes finish cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once foaming, add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent; garlic is fragrant
Tip: Keep the heat at medium to avoid browning the onion—you want a delicate, creamy sauce.
Add cream and cheese
- Pour the heavy cream into the saucepan and stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat and add the crumbled cheese all at once.
- Stir gently and constantly for about 1 minute until the cheese melts into the sauce and it becomes smooth and creamy.
- If the sauce seems thick, stir in a splash more cream or a little of the potato cooking water.
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Ready when: Cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy, with no lumps
Tip: Remove from heat before adding cheese to prevent it from curdling or becoming grainy. Stir gently to keep the sauce silky.
Season the sauce
- Taste the sauce and season with salt (go easy—the cheese and potatoes are already salty) and a generous pinch of black pepper.
- Stir in the sliced white and light green parts of the green onions.
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Ready when: Sauce tastes balanced—creamy, cheesy, and lightly seasoned
Tip: Taste as you go; you can always add more salt, but you can't remove it.
Drain the potatoes
- When the potatoes are tender, carefully drain them in a colander.
- Return them to the warm pot or transfer to a serving bowl.
- Do not rinse them—the starch helps the sauce cling better.
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Ready when: Potatoes are completely drained
Tip: Keep the pot warm so the sauce stays creamy when you pour it over the potatoes.
Pour and garnish
- Pour the warm cheese sauce generously over the hot potatoes and gently fold a few times to distribute the sauce without breaking apart the potatoes.
- Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.
- Scatter the reserved dark green onion tops and the fresh chopped cilantro over the top.
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Ready when: Potatoes are evenly coated with sauce and garnished
Tip: Serve immediately while the sauce is warm and creamy—the dish is best enjoyed fresh.
Good to know
Tips
- Use waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold, red potatoes, fingerling) that hold their shape; starchy russets will become mushy.
- Don't let the cheese sauce boil or simmer after you add the cheese, or it may separate and become grainy. Remove from heat and stir gently.
- For a thinner sauce, add a splash of the potato cooking water when you stir in the cheese; for a thicker sauce, use less cream or let it simmer gently for 1–2 minutes before plating.
- Serve immediately on warm plates or a warm serving bowl so the sauce stays creamy and clings to the potatoes.
Make ahead
The potatoes can be boiled up to 4 hours ahead and stored at room temperature in a covered bowl. The sauce is best made fresh just before serving, but can be reheated gently over low heat with a splash of cream if needed. Reheat only until warm—do not boil or the cheese will separate.
Storage & reheating
Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of cream if the sauce has thickened. Do not reheat in the microwave, as this can cause the cheese sauce to break. The dish does not freeze well due to the cream-based sauce.
Substitutions
- queso fresco or crumbly fresh cheese (such as fresh mozzarella or feta) → fresh mozzarella, feta cheese, or queso blanco. Choose a cheese that melts smoothly into the cream. Avoid hard aged cheeses, which won't melt properly into the sauce.
- heavy cream (or table cream) → crema Latina (Latin American sour cream), sour cream, or evaporated milk mixed with a little whole milk. Sour cream will add tang; reduce the amount slightly and whisk in gradually to avoid curdling. Evaporated milk creates a lighter sauce.
- fresh cilantro → fresh flat-leaf parsley or a mix of parsley and dill. Cilantro is traditional, but parsley offers a similar brightness if cilantro is unavailable or disliked.
- Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes, unpeeled → red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or other waxy varieties. Avoid starchy russet potatoes, which tend to fall apart when boiled and sauced.