If you’re looking for a new way to fuel your morning, give one of these scrumptious protein-packed breakfast quesadillas a try. Pick from the classic bacon avocado quesadilla, sweet potato sausage quesadilla, Greek veggie quesadilla, or Italian breakfast quesadilla. Each quesadilla is bursting with delicious ingredients, like bacon, breakfast sausage, shredded cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and fluffy scrambled eggs.
We love to make these breakfast quesadillas ahead of time and then freeze them to have on hand for those days when you need more than a cup of coffee to wake you up. They reheat quickly in the air fryer and retain their crispy pan-toasted exterior.
The inspiration for these breakfast quesadillas came from a popular diner called Bills in Willow Glenn, California. My husband brought me there during one of our trips to his home turf. It was a quaint space with a combination of black vinyl chairs and floral booths, worn carpet that might have been original back in the 70s, and a long stretch of mirrors adorned on either side by murals. But what really stuck with me was how mind-blowingly good breakfast quesadillas are.
Our version of breakfast quesadillas might not hold a candle to Bill’s, but we definitely discovered some yummy combinations while trying. We hope you enjoy them!
Ingredients
Breakfast Quesadilla Base
- Eggs – fluffy scrambled eggs form the base for all of these breakfast quesadillas.
- Salt and pepper – for flavoring the eggs.
- Tortillas – burrito sized flour tortillas work best. Pan toasted for a little extra crispiness. Feel free to sub in your favorite kind of tortilla, like whole wheat, sundried tomato, or spinach.
Bacon Avocado Breakfast Quesadilla
- Bacon – we prefer turkey bacon to keep things lighter, but regular bacon works well too.
- Avocado – deliciously creamy addition we love to slather on one side of the tortilla. Avocados are loaded with healthy unsaturated plant-based fats.
- Shredded cheese – The cheese is the “glue” for these quesadillas. Any variety of cheese works, but we like sharp cheddar for this breakfast quesadilla. Pepper jack, Swiss, monterey jack, triple cheddar blend, or Mexican blend are also excellent.
- Salsa – we love to use Fresh Cravings restaurant style mild salsa. It’s super fresh and loaded with flavor. Sub in whatever salsa you like. We also swap in salsa verde.
Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Quesadilla
- Breakfast sausage – crumbled or cut. We prefer Johnsonville maple pork sausage for a hint of sweet maple flavor, but use whatever breakfast sausage you like. You can use pork, turkey, chicken, or even vegan sausage.
- Sweet potato – mashed and spread across half of the tortilla. Sweet potato is loaded with fiber and is surprisingly high in protein for a starchy vegetable.
- Shredded cheese – Binds the filling with the tortilla. Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, Swiss, monterey jack, triple cheddar blend, or Mexican blend all work great. It’s hard to beat classic cheddar.
Greek Veggie Breakfast Quesadilla
- Spinach – coarsely chopped. Spinach is a rich source of vitamin A, C, and K, as well as iron, calcium, and folic acid.
- Yellow onion – for a bit of crunch. Saute your onions until soft to make them a little sweeter.
- Tomatoes – fresh, marinated, or fire roasted are super delicious in this recipe. Sometimes we even sub in salsa.
- Feta cheese – for a salty, savory punch of flavor. Unlike shredded cheeses, feta won’t bind well to the tortilla so these quesadillas are always a bit messier.
Italian Breakfast Quesadilla
- Sausage – Italian or breakfast sausage. Again, you can sub in your favorite type of sausage, like pork, chicken, turkey, or vegan.
- Bell pepper – for added crunch.
- Mushrooms – white, baby bellas, or any other variety will work. Saute until they release their liquid.
- Yellow onion – Saute with the mushrooms until translucent and fragrant.
- Cheese – we use 3 parts mozzarella and 1 part Parmesan cheese in this recipe. You can swap your favorite cheese.
How to Make Breakfast Quesadillas
Since there are 4 different recipes included in this recipe card, we have written generic instructions. If a step does not apply (i.e. no meat or veggies needing to be cooked, etc.) skip to the next step.
- Cook the meat. In a large skillet, cook the meat over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to a small paper towel lined bowl. Wipe the pan out, if needed.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pan, drizzle a small amount of olive oil and saute the onion, bell pepper, and/or mushrooms over medium heat until the onion is translucent, the bell peppers are slightly soft, and/or the mushrooms release their liquid. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe the pan out, if needed.
- Cook the eggs. In a small bowl whisk the eggs. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook the eggs in the same pan over medium-low heat, scrambling. Transfer to a plate.
- Assemble the quesadilla. Spread the avocado or sweet potato along one half of the tortilla, if applicable. Transfer the tortilla to the same frying pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the avocado/sweet potato. Layer the cooked egg over the cheese. Top with cooked meat, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, tomatoes, and/or salsa. Finish with the remaining cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling. Brown both sides of the tortilla over medium heat until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cut into quarters. Enjoy!
How to Store
- Refrigerate – place the quesadillas in an airtight container lined with paper towel for up to 4 days.
- Freeze – wrap the quesadilla in plastic wrap and tin foil, then place in a freezer Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months (if they last that long!).
- Reheat – place frozen quesadillas in the oven at 350F and reheat until warmed through, about 6 to 8 minutes. You can also use an air fryer to reheat (this is our preferred method since it keeps the outside crispy). Warm the frozen quesadillas in the air fryer at 350F for 6 to 8 minutes, turning over halfway through. You can also thaw the quesadillas overnight and then warm in the air fryer or oven for 4 to 6 minutes.
What to Serve with These Quesadillas
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes! While you can technically keep these in the freezer for up to 6 months, we don’t recommend keeping them longer than 3 months to prevent the tortilla and egg from getting freezer burnt.
Yes! If your air fryer basket is large enough, you can build your quesadilla and then air fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until crispy, at 350F, turning over about halfway through.
It’s not recommended. Corn tortillas aren’t as large or durable as flour tortillas and you’ll likely have issues with keeping your quesadilla together.
The best way to quickly reheat these quesadillas is to warm them in the air fryer at 350F for 4 to 6 minutes, turning about halfway through. You can also warm them in the oven at 350F, but they won’t have as crispy of an exterior as when warming with an air fryer.
Check out our other yummy breakfast recipes
- Pesto potato crustless quiche
- Greek yogurt strawberry muffins
- Healthy pumpkin muffins
- Chocolate zucchini muffins
- Cranberry dark chocolate scones
Breakfast Quesadilla (4 Ways)
Ingredients
Breakfast Quesadilla Base
- 2 large eggs
- salt and pepper, if desired
- 1 burrito size flour tortilla
Bacon Avocado Breakfast Quesadilla
- 1-2 oz turkey or pork bacon, chopped
- ½ Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, mashed
- ¼ c (2 oz) shredded cheese, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, or Mexican blend (or other variety)
- 2 Tbsp restaurant style salsa
Sweet Potato and Sausage Breakfast Quesadilla
- 1-2 oz breakfast sausage, crumbled
- ½ c sweet potato, baked and mashed
- ¼ c (2 oz) shredded cheese, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, or Mexican blend (or other variety)
Greek Veggie Breakfast Quesadilla
- ½ c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp tomatoes, diced (fresh, marinated, or fire roasted)
- 2 Tbsp feta cheese
Italian Breakfast Quesadilla
- 1-2 oz breakfast or Italian sausage
- 5 small mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ bell pepper, any color, diced
- 2 Tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 3 Tbsp mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Since there are 4 different recipes included in this recipe card, we have written generic instructions. If a step does not apply (i.e. no meat or veggies needing to be cooked, etc.) skip to the next step.
- Cook the meat. In a large skillet, cook the meat over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to a small paper towel lined bowl. Wipe the pan out, if needed.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pan, drizzle a small amount of olive oil and saute the onion, bell pepper, and/or mushrooms over medium heat until the onion is translucent, the bell peppers are slightly soft, and/or the mushrooms release their liquid. Transfer to a small bowl. Wipe the pan out, if needed.
- Cook the eggs. In a small bowl whisk the eggs. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook the eggs in the same pan over medium-low heat, scrambling. Transfer to a plate.
- Assemble the quesadilla. Spread the avocado or sweet potato along one half of the tortilla, if applicable. Transfer the tortilla to the same frying pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the avocado/sweet potato. Layer the cooked egg over the cheese. Top with cooked meat, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, tomatoes, and/or salsa. Finish with the remaining cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling. Brown both sides of the tortilla over medium heat until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cut into quarters. Enjoy!
Notes
- Can I freeze breakfast quesadillas – yes! While you can technically keep these in the freezer for up to 6 months, we don’t recommend keeping them longer than 3 months to prevent the tortilla and egg from getting freezer burnt.
- Can I make breakfast quesadillas in the air fryer – yes! If your air fryer basket is large enough, you can build your quesadilla and then air fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until crispy, at 350F, turning over about halfway through.
- Can I use corn tortillas in breakfast quesadillas – it’s not recommended. Corn tortillas aren’t as large or durable as flour tortillas and you’ll likely have issues with keeping your quesadilla together.
- How do I reheat breakfast quesadillas – the best way to quickly reheat these quesadillas is to warm them in the air fryer at 350F for 4 to 6 minutes, turning about halfway through. You can also warm them in the oven at 350F, but they won’t have as crispy of an exterior as when warming with an air fryer.
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