What Is a Breakfast Quesadilla?
These quesadillas are what I would call ‘bonus’ quesadillas: they’re not only cheesy but have a bonus bump of protein with scrambled eggs and black beans. Mild green chiles add lots of flavor, and if you are feeling spicy in the morning, add jalapeños and cilantro to the mix. On top of that, they are vegetarian, so if you are cutting your meat consumption these days, you’ll love these.
They are especially handy if you want a quick protein breakfast before heading out the door in the morning. But in our house, we might have them for a snack by themselves or with a bowl of soup or a salad for an easy supper. Any way you cut it, these make an easy meal, morning, noon, or night!
How to Make Breakfast Quesadillas
As the name implies (if you know a little Spanish) quesadillas are ‘little cheesy things.’ Cheese is folded and melted inside a tortilla and then cut into wedges. But a breakfast quesadilla is so much more! Here’s how to make them: This adds up to a quesadilla version of a breakfast sandwich. Easy and tasty!
The Best Tortillas for Quesadillas
In this recipe I use large flour tortillas like these, you can just use the best ones available in your market. You could also substitute corn or whole wheat tortillas if that’s your preference. Corn tortillas are usually smaller than the large flour ones, so you will just have to eyeball the amount of filling and cheese you use.
Want to make your own tortillas? Try this recipe: Homemade Flour Tortillas
The Best Cheese for Quesadillas
This recipe is so flexible you can really use almost any good melting cheese. If you like your quesadillas extra-cheesy, just pile it on. These are some of my favorites:
Sharp cheddarMonterey jackGoudaFontinaMuenster
Ways to Adapt This Recipe
You can easily adjust this recipe to your taste: Use just about any beans you have on hand (kidney beans, chickpeas, white beans), add cooked sausage or bacon, or vary the cheese. Craving more vegetables? Add some cooked greens or chopped, cooked cauliflower or broccoli. Try not to overfill them in order to keep the ingredients inside. Just eyeball the filling—consider the recipe as a guideline. Use your best judgment. Anything goes!
Make Ahead and Freeze
Here comes the beauty part: You can make a batch of quesadillas and freeze them!
After making the egg filling, simply fill the tortillas, add the cheese and fold them in half. Since some brands of tortillas are stiff right out of the package it helps to heat them in the microwave to make them pliable and fold them before they cool too much.
To do this: Stack them on a plate, cover with a paper towel or waxed paper, and microwave for 30 to 40 seconds, or until they are pliable and easy to fold in half.
Once filled, cut each folded tortilla in half, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place the baking sheet in the freezer. When they are frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag, stacking the quesadilla between small pieces of parchment or waxed paper. They will keep for about two months.
How to Reheat Frozen Quesadillas
Remove them from the freezer and microwave for about two minutes, until they are mostly defrosted. Cook them over medium heat in a lightly oiled skillet for about one and a half minutes on each side to crisp the outside. Breakfast in minutes, next to no cleanup, you can’t argue with that!
More Quesadilla Recipes
Quesadilla Pie Shrimp Quesadillas Easy Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas Sweet Corn and Goat Cheese Quesadillas Squash Blossom Quesadillas Cheese Quesadilla
Salsa
You can either cook all of the quesadillas, cool them, cut them in half then freeze them. Or just cook what you want to eat right now, and freeze the rest, uncooked for later (this just saves you a little cooking and cooling time now). TO FREEZE: Line a baking sheet that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spread as many assembled quesadillas as will fit on the baking sheet, top with a layer of paper, and add a second layer. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Transfer the frozen quesadillas to plastic freezer bags, stacking them between small pieces of parchment or waxed paper. Store for up to 2 months. TO REHEAT: Remove as many quesadillas as you like from the freezer. Spread on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes to partially defrost them. At this point, the tortillas can be a little soggy, but that can be remedied. Just follow the “Cook the Quesadilla” instructions in step 4.