Breakfast Quesadilla
Good mornin’ y’all. I’m excited to share some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years how to make the perfect quesadilla. In order for it to be a breakfast quesadilla, the meal needs two basic ingredients: eggs and meat.
You can get as fancy as you want or as basic as you want and that’s one of the things I love about a quesadilla. Generally everyone can have what they want inside or on top, which means everyone’s happy and enjoying themselves. Those are my favorite meals.
The Cowboy’s Breakfast Quesadilla
My breakfast quesadilla is usually going to have a traditional “breakfast” meat, and today I’ve chosen ham. Why? Well, you can buy ham pre-cooked, which makes this quesadilla easier to make. Ham comes with a lot of flavor, but I want to get even more flavor out of this meat.
Tip: Grill the pre-cooked ham on the smoker before dicing to add a delicious smoky flavor to the quesadilla.
How to Get the Egg Just Right
Have you ever eaten a breakfast quesadilla with a scrambled egg inside? Most of the egg falls out onto your lap or the ground, depending on where you’re eating it. I want to make sure that the egg is going to stay put inside the tortilla.
Tip: Whether you use our recipe for homemade tortillas or you buy them at the store, make sure that they are the same width as your skillet so the sides will seal up.
I’m going to start by pre-heating my cast iron to medium low. We don’t want to scorch the eggs or overheat the pan because later we’re going to put our tortilla in there, too. I’m using about two tablespoons of Kerrygold butter to keep the eggs from sticking and to add more flavor.
Take two cackleberries and crack them into a little bowl. Because we want as much flavor as possible, I’m going to add Red River Ranch Mesquite Seasoning and scramble until they’re smooth and ready to go.
Before adding the eggs to the pan, make sure the butter coats the sides of the skillet. This will ensure even the edges of the quesadilla are grilled to perfection.
Pour the eggs in the pan. Make sure the pan is level if you can so the eggs will cook smoothly and evenly like an omelet. The pan is going to be on low heat, so they will just barely start to set up. Once the egg is set up all around the edges, it’s time to add half the cheese.
Tip: Instead of scrambling the eggs, cook them flat like an omelet. This will prevent the egg from falling out when you take a bite.
For quesadillas I like to use mozzarella cheese on one side. It melts up just right and helps bond the egg to the tortilla. On the other side we use pepper jack for more kick and of course, more flavor.
The Quesadilla
After you’ve spread the cheese on the omelet, lay a tortilla over the top of the egg. The egg should still be cooking up just a little bit. Gently press the tortilla down all over a little bit so the cheese and the eggs are going to bond to the tortilla.
Grab a spatula and check up under the tortilla to see if the eggs are completely cooked. If so, go ahead and flip the tortilla over.
The tortilla will start to grill underneath while you put the rest of this together. Add your pepper jack cheese and some diced green chiles. This is going to add that extra kick of flavor that will set these apart.
Add the ham to one half of the omelet, add some cheese to bond it to the egg, and flip half the quesadilla over. Now, just flip as needed to make the outside toasted and crispy.
I really recommend y’all trying this with our new delicious salsa, for even more of a flavor pop.
Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel and our blog for new recipes every week.
Breakfast Quesadilla – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ to ½ inch thick ham slice
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 large eggs beaten and divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella divided
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese divided
- 1 4 ounce can diced green chilis
- 2 10-inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- Clean and preheat the grill to 400 degrees F. This can also be done in the house over a burner.
- Cook/grill the ham for about 3 minutes each side or until lightly charred. Remove from the heat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside in a warm spot.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Swirl the butter around to evenly coat the skillet.
- Pour 2 eggs in the skillet. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until they begin to set up around the edges. Sprinkle the eggs evenly with ½ cup Mozzarella cheese.
- Place 1 tortilla on top of the eggs and cheese and mash down slightly to seal the ingredients together.
- Cook for about 3 minute or until the eggs are cooked and easily release from the skillet.
- Flip the tortilla over and sprinkle ½ cup of pepper jack cheese evenly on top. Sprinkle ½ of the green chiles followed by half of the chopped ham.
- Fold half of the tortilla over to meet the other side and mash slightly.
- Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, each side, or until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining ingredients for the second quesadilla. Slice and serve immediately.