I’ve had a couple cans of green chiles in my pantry that need to be used up, so I decided to toss them into my favorite breakfast—a tortilla, egg, and cheese quesadilla. I also had some leftover cilantro in the fridge, so I thought, “Why the heck not?” and tossed it in there as well. What are the chances that you’ll have all these same leftovers in your fridge and pantry? I dunno. But if you ever do, I highly suggest making these super simple, filling, and delicious Green Chile Breakfast Quesadillas.
And if you don’t have the same leftovers in your fridge as I do, just remember:
Tortilla + Cheese + *Wild Card* = recipe for deliciousness.
Green Chile Breakfast Quesadillas
Servings 4 quesadillasIngredients
- 4 oz. Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack, shredded ($1.25)
- 1 4 oz. can diced mild green chiles ($0.87)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped ($0.24)
- 4 large eggs ($0.89)
- 4 fajita size 8″ diameter tortillas ($0.95)
Instructions
- Drain the green chiles well. Add them to a bowl with the shredded cheese and chopped cilantro, and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- Cook the four large eggs over easy (or your favorite method) in a large skillet.
- Spread 1/4 of the cheese and chile filling over half of each tortilla, then top each with an egg. Fold the tortillas closed to make a half circle.
- Cook two quesadillas at a time in the large skillet over medium heat until the outsides are golden brown and crispy and the cheese is melted inside (cook on each side). Cut each quesadilla in half or into thirds to form triangles. A pizza cutter works well for this job. Serve hot.
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Green Chile Breakfast Quesadillas – Step by Step Photos
First gather the ingredients for the filling. I used 4 oz. of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (pepper jack would also be awesome if you like things spicy), one 4oz. can of diced green chiles (drained well), and about 1/4 bunch or handful of fresh cilantro, chopped.
Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl. This is your quesadilla filling. This will last a few days in the fridge, if you want to just make one quesadilla at a time.
Cook four large eggs using your favorite method. My original intention was to scramble the eggs, but then I decided to cook them over easy instead. I wanted that creamy yolk and for the skillet to be left clean, so that I could use it to cook the quesadillas. For each quesadilla, spread 1/4 of the filling over half of the tortilla, top it with a cooked egg, then fold the quesadilla in half to make a half circle.
I must have been really distracted when I made these, because I forgot to get a picture of them in the skillet. Anyway, once they’re folded in half, just cook the quesadillas in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides and the cheese is melted inside. Two quesadillas usually fit in the skillet at a time. After cooking, cut the quesadillas in half, or into thirds to make triangles. A pizza cutter works great for cutting quesadillas and if you cut from the outside edge in towards the fold, that will help keep the gooey insides IN, instead of squishing out. :)
Speaking of gooey insides… OHHHH YEAHHH. Green Chile Breakfast Quesadillas FOR THE WIN.
Great quick breakfast. Delicious and easy on the wallet.
What kind of green chili’s do you get? We went to Santa Fe, NM and there were roasted green chilies in everything. My husband was in heaven. I am hoping this will be similar.
If you were in New Mexico they were probably fresh green chiles that they roasted, which will taste a lot different than canned green chiles that you can buy in the store. I like them both, but for their own reasons. I used canned green chiles for this recipe, but when using fresh green chiles I use Hatch. They’re usually only available seasonally, though.
a must try
Holy cow these are so freaking delicious! I used hot chili and it was devine, monterey jack is the perfect creamy consistency and the crunch from the tortilla kicks butt. I’m going to use this for this week’s breakfast prep! So delicious!
Perfect. Will use low carb tortillas.
These are so good! And easy! I’ve had 3 days in a row now and plan on having again tomorrow.
Do you think I could make a bunch of these and freeze them? They look delicious and I am always looking for more make-ahead options
Yes, that should work well. I’ve freeze quesadillas quite often. :)
What’s the best way to reheat quesadillas after freezing them?
I like to take them straight from the freezer and put them in a skillet, over fairly low heat. I keep the heat low because that gives it time to thaw and heat through before the tortilla has a chance to brown on the outside. I use a non-stick skillet, so it doesn’t even need any oil or anything. :)
Made these for breakfast and it was so easy and quick. (And right now I’m finishing up last night’s Egg Drop Soup for my lunch.) I seriously have yet to find a “bad” recipe on your site.
I did not think that a cup of cheese would be enough. But after trying the recipe with more than one cup of cheese, I realized it would have been just fine. Hahaha
Delicious! Served with salsa and sour cream. I also added green onions to the filling. We had red salsa, but tomatillo would have been even better!