Breakfast Outside the Box: Quesadillas Two Ways

We always have a stack of whole grain tortillas in our freezer because they are so versatile and have saved me from the dreaded last minute "what am I going to make for supper?!" panic more than a few times. Tortillas are great for throwing together a turkey, veggie and cheese wrap at the last minute, or for making easy burritos, thin-crust pizza or healthy quesadillas. I usually turn to tortillas for lunch and dinner meals, but have rarely used them for breakfast, with the exception of my muffin-tin breakfast burrito recipe. My kids love quesadillas, so I thought it would be fun to think outside the box and make "breakfast burritos." I decided to test out a sweet quesadilla made with fruit, peanut butter, and vanilla Greek yogurt, as well as a savory egg, ham and veggie quesadilla. Both quesadillas are nutritious and delicious, containing a nice variety of nutrients. I made sure that both contained enough protein to keep tummies full and lots of vitamins and minerals from fruits and veggies.

Enjoy!

Egg, Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadilla

Makes 2 quesadillas

Ingredients

2 large whole grain soft tortillas

3-4 eggs

splash of milk

half of a bell pepper, sliced thinly

3 mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp diced ham or leftover bacon (optional)

2 tsp vegetable oil

3/4-1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat on the stove

Add mushrooms and peppers, saute until fragrant and tender. Add ham or bacon if using and saute for about one minute

Lightly whisk eggs and milk in a small bowl, add salt and pepper.

Add egg mixture to skillet and cook until scrambled.

Remove from heat.

Lay tortillas out on a flat surface, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on one half of each quesadilla, then cover with egg/veggie mixture (half of mixture on each tortilla on top of cheese). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of egg mixture on both tortillas. Fold tortillas over to make a half-moon shape and press down lightly.

Place the non-stick skillet back on burner at low-medium heat. Place one of the quesadillas in skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip and repeat. Do the same with the second quesadilla.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Cut into triangles and serve with salsa.

Strawberry Banana Breakfast Quesadilla:

Makes 2 quesadillas

Ingredients

2 large soft tortillas

1 small banana, sliced

3-4 strawberries, rinsed, dried and sliced (stems removed)

2 tbsp full-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

2 tbsp peanut butter or almond butter

Sprinkle of cinnamon

2 tsp honey OR 1 tbsp chocolate chips

1 tsp vegetable oil

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over medium-low heat on stovetop (optional).

In a small bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and peanut butter. Spread evenly over both tortillas. There may be leftover spread depending on how thick you want the spread (I had leftover).

Evenly disperse banana slices and strawberries on top of peanut butter/Greek yogurt spread (don't over-crowd). Sprinkle with cinnamon and then drizzle with honey or sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Fold quesadilla 3 times (to make a flat wrap). Eat as is (and take on the go), OR, if you want to brown on both sides, place folded quesadilla into heated skillet and lightly brown on both sides (you don't want the inside too warm, so only about 30 seconds on either side). Cut in half on an angle and enjoy!