Ham & Cheese Breakfast Quesadilla

I love a good breakfast burrito as much as the next guy. I’ve always been a fan of a hearty, savory breakfast to start the day. I’m just not a big fan of a soft, pasty flour tortilla. I’ve always craved a crunchy burrito but the shape doesn’t really lend itself to cooking it so you end up with a crispy exterior.

Then I stumbled upon a cooking technique demonstrated on Natasha’s Kitchen website. She’s a genius!!! As soon as I saw it I knew I had to give it a try!!! This recipe was the result. A crispy exterior with a satisfying crunch, coupled with a cheesy, gooey interior. We have officially ditched the breakfast burrito around here and fully embraced the breakfast quesadilla!

In our opinion this quesadilla far surpasses the breakfast burrito. Give this technique a try and I think you will agree! You will be a convert just like us ☺️

You could use any of your favorite breakfast burrito combos; bacon & cheese, sausage or chorizo & cheese, veggies & cheese, all would be delicious!!! I used ham & cheddar cheese because it was what I had in the fridge, plus it’s a classic flavor combination that we personally love.

To start you will want to select a pan that is large enough to accommodate the size of the flour tortilla. I recommend using a heavy bottomed pan so you get nice even heat.

Begin by melting butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium low heat. Keep the heat on low so you don’t end up burning anything. Low and slow will produce the best results! When butter has melted pour beaten eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Use a spatula to gently push eggs away from the sides of the pan and allow the runny eggs to run to the edges.

Cook over low heat until eggs are set and no longer runny when you tilt the pan. You don’t want to rush this step, keep the heat on low so the egg cooks almost all the way through. 

If you like your quesadilla to have some heat you can spread a thin layer of Horseradish sauce or Sriracha sauce onto the tortilla before placing it, sauce side down, on the cooked eggs.

Top eggs with about a tablespoon of cheese.

Top with the flour tortilla.

Gently press the tortilla down onto the surface of the eggs.

Using a spatula, get under the cooked egg and carefully flip the egg/tortilla so that the tortilla is on the bottom, and the egg is now on top.

Top the egg with the remaining shredded cheese, the sliced ham and some green onion or chives. Add the diced jalapeño if you are using them.

Use the spatula to carefully fold the tortilla in half so that the egg, ham, cheese and chives are sandwiched between the tortilla.

Continue to cook over low heat until tortilla is golden brown.

Flip tortilla over and continue to cook until the second side is a crispy golden brown, and the cheese is completely melted, hot and gooey.

To serve, cut quesadilla into three wedges and top with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of chives or green onion and a side of your favorite salsa.

Try my favorite salsa recipe it pairs perfectly with these quesadillas.

Mama Rita’s Amazing Salsa

These were freaking DELICIOUS!!! Hubs had seconds and even my finicky teenager gave them two thumbs up and licked his plate. I would say that makes these a winner-winner Quesadilla dinner! Ok brunch or breakfast, but it didn’t rhyme with winner. But you could easily serve these as breakfast for dinner on those nights when you want something tasty and easy to make. They are hearty and filling and oh so good!!!

My brain is already thinking of all the different flavor profiles and combinations to try. Perhaps my favorite California Burrito turned California Quesadilla? Or a breakfast hash Quesadilla? Be still my beating heart.

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Give this one a try, you will not be disappointed, I promise!