Sopes are small, round, tartlette-like cakes made with masa harina, the flour used to prepare tortillas. Instead of frying the sopes on a griddle, we’ve baked them for entertaining ease. Topped with Zucchini-Corn Filling  or Pico de Gallo, they make beautiful appetizers, or you can serve a trio of stuffed sopes as an entrée.

Pear-shaped chayote (pronounced chi-YO-tee) squash have a mild, zucchini-like taste but a firmer texture than summer squash. Because they are easier to prepare and more readily available than nopalitos (cooked cactus palms), we’ve used them in a salad traditionally made with the sliced cactus. Canned nopalitos can be found in Mexican grocery stores if you want to make the recipe more authentic.

This ultraversatile filling works just as well in tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas as it does as a filling for Oven-Baked Sopes. 

This chunky sauce is more like a relish than a salsa for dipping.