Happy Easter everyone!  I know most people don’t think of Mexican food when Easter rolls around, but 1) it’s my family’s favorite cuisine, 2) my niece Audra will be here and she loves our Denver Style Green Chili Gravy, 3) we’re feeling a bit homesick for Denver right now and we have a quart of gravy in the freezer.  We’re still going to make deviled eggs, but this year we’re spicing them up by replacing the sweet relish with our homemade pickled jalapeños.

If you’ve ever been to Denver, you probably noticed that just about every restaurant has a version of green chili.  If you’ve never been to Denver, you should go and you should eat as much green chili as possible while you are there.  You can get it in a bowl with flour tortillas on the side or you can order a burrito smothered in it.  It’s usually made with pork, but some folks make it with chicken and, of course, there are vegetarian versions.  My mom always made it to smother burritos and it has been a favorite since she found and clipped the recipe from the Rocky Mountain News more than 30 years ago.  We still have that clipping!

See the recipe for Denver Style Green Chili Gravy in Preserving the Season.  It makes a lot and freezes well.

Because we are having Easter Brunch, we thought we would make a lighter dish of sopes, rather than bean burritos smothered in the gravy.  Sopes are thick corn tortillas formed with a little lip around the edge to hold in the filling.  They are Not Quite a Galette, but they are a round corn cake of sorts and I learned the technique by watching Pati Jinich (she’s the cutest!) on YouTube- click here for the video.  Forming the Sopes is as easy as Pati makes it look.  We are filling the sopes with refried beans, topping with Green Chili Gravy, shredded lettuce, Mexican crema, queso fresco, avocado and Cholula.  Love Love Love!

Sopes

Makes about 12 Sopes

2 cups Masa Harina (I used Bob’s Red Mill Organic)

2 cups warm water (you may need more)

1 tsp Sea Salt

Heat a comal or cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Mix and knead the masa harina, salt and water with your hand until it is soft.  If it is dry, add more water.  Divide the dough into 12 small balls and set aside covered with a tea towel.  In the video, Pati uses a tortilla press but I found that I had more control over the thickness using a rolling pin.  Place a ball of dough in between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and press or roll out to about a 1/4 inch thick.

Place the tortilla on the comal or cast iron skillet and cook for a minute or two.  Flip and cook again for a minute or two.  Remove the tortilla to a work surface and using a tea towel, crimp the edges to make a little lip around the perimeter.  Return the sope to the comal and cook for another minute or two per side.  You can get into a groove here and be working two or three Sopes at the same time.

When they are finished keep warm in a basket lined and covered with a tea towel.

Fill with refried beans and top with Denver Green Chili Gravy, shredded lettuce, Mexican crema, queso fresco, avocado and Cholula.