Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas
When my kids are headed out the door on extra busy mornings I hand them Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadilla’s and feel like a super hero because I they actaully got breakfast that wasn’t out of a box! I prep most of the ingredients the day before and all that’s left in the morning is assembling them! Easy!
Please tell me that I’m not the only one who runs around like a crazy lady in the mornings! It doesn’t seem to matter how much preparing I do the day before mornings are always rough. Branson wakes up at 6:00 every single morning and practices the piano without even being asked, begged, prodded, or reminded. Carson sleeps until I force him to get out of bed and then just sits there and soaks up the morning. Then there’s Payson…he could sleep until noon every day if I let him.
I’m telling you though, having breakfast almost ready to go before you go to bed saves so much hassle in the morning. Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas have become a favorite around here because not only do they taste amazing, they are quick to make. And quick is the name of my game in the morning!
NOTE: This post was updated to include additional information in 2018.
Here’s how to prepare for breakfast the night before.
- Dice your ham the night before. If I’m really on top of it I dice leftover ham before I even stick it in the fridge. Check out this tutorial on how to dice it super quick!
- Hard boil and dice eggs the night before. I actually do this during the day when the kids are at school becauese evenings are crazy too.
- Shred lots of cheese at once and store it in a ziplock bag in the fridge. It’ll be waiting for you in the morning!
How to quickly make breakfast on busy mornings?
- Warm a skillet over medium heat.
- Add butter
- Set one tortilla in skillet
- Layer cheese, ham, and eggs on tortilla
- Be sure to use plenty of cheese
- Set the other tortilla on top
- Let cook until bottom tortilla is golden brown
- Flip and try not to let fillings fall out!
- Cook until second side is golden brown
- Remove from skillet and set on cutting board
- Let rest for a few minutes then cut into wedges and serve
What do I serve with Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas?
- My boys like them with salsa and sour cream. Try this Tomatillo Lime Salsa for a little extra flavor!
- Perfect Fresh Fruit Salad is a nice healthy breakfast side.
- Raspberry Vanilla Fruit Salad is a fun one.
- Sunshine Smoothies are awesome if you need to hand breakfast to your family on their way out the door!
How to customize breakfast quesadillas?
There are so many fun options for making breakfast quesadillas exactly how you like them. Here are some of our favorite combinations!
- Sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms (okay, I’m the only one that likes that)
- Add fried and crumbled sausage
- Sprinkle some crumbled bacon on there.
- Diced tomatoes are yummy too!
Sometimes my kiddos are headed out the door on their way to school, sometimes they are headed out the door to go to work on the farm. Either way they are always starving and looking for something to fill their tummies first thing in the morning! Quesadillas are just the thing!
You guys Ham and Cheese Breakfast Quesadillas are on of the most popular posts on my site! They are cheesy, gooey, hearty, and EASY! What more could a mamma ask for in the morning? Well, let’s not start talking about that! We want to think good thoughts here!
Have a happy morning!
Here’s the printable recipe!
- 2 flour tortilla shells
- 1 T. butter
- 2 hard boiled eggs, diced
- ½ c. ham, diced
- ½ c. grated Swiss cheese
- ½ c. grated cheddar cheese
- OPTIONAL:
- mushrooms, sauteed
- onions, sauteed
- bacon, sauteed
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Lay one tortilla shell to skillet.
- Sprinkle grated Swiss cheese on tortilla.
- Sprinkle diced eggs and ham over cheese layer.
- Next, sprinkle any other optional toppings.
- Add layer of cheddar cheese.
- Top with remaining tortilla.
- As soon as the bottom tortilla is golden brown, flip the whole quesadilla over. Let me know if you figure out how to do this without spilling all the yummy inside ingredients. If you do...just scoop them back in with a spatula.
- Continue cooking until second side is golden brown.
- Remove to a cutting board. Cut into wedges.
- Serve warm!
Leftovers never looked so good. Being prepared the night before does make the morning goes so much smoother, and it sure beats having to eat a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast.
My boys rarely “get” cold cereal for breakfast. When they do, they rant and rave like I’m the best mom on Earth. Every mom needs a few easy pleasing meals, like cold cereal, in the pantry!
I use a divided omelet pan (top and bottom with a hinge), Cut the tortillas in half if you wish. I just fold and make a “breakfast calzone” using tortillas! You can make scrambled eggs, if you prefer, warmed in the microwave from the night before,,,then add ingredients as wanted.
Great idea! My boys love scrambled eggs too!
How about doing it on one of those sandwich toasters. That way you do both sides at the same time.
I’m sure that would work great Amanda. Unfortunately, I don’t have a sandwich toaster in my enormous collection of kitchen appliances! Good luck with it!
I just put mine on the grates in the oven and turn it on boil done in 3 min (healthier to no butter )
Catrina, I love eating healthy foods but, I’m also a dairy farmer so I have no problem eating lots of butter 🙂 Your method would be fun to try though!
I have a panini maker but get lazy. So I fill my tortillas, fold them in half like a taco and set in a hot skillet. Once everything starts to melt, a large spatula will flip it over to brown the other side. To prevent spillage, I make TWO quesadillas.
I’ve done this before too and it works great. If I wouldn’t overfill them I don’t think I would have a problem at all!
I’m not sure just how that would work. It seems to me the filling would all fall out between the grates. The Martha Stewart trick seems easier to me. Although if you allow the cheese to melt adequately between the tortillas without burning the undersides there should not be any fallout out when it is being flipped The other possibility is that there is far too much filing for the tortillas. Cut back on your fillings and it would won’t be necessary to scrape up bit and pieces that have fallen out.
Again, make sure the cheese is adequately melted to fuse both skies together and you won’t have any problems.
It’s true David, if I can contain myself and not add too many fillings to my quesadilla it works just fine. Of course I always use lots of cheese to “glue” the quesadilla together. I just get too carried away with my fillings. Oh well, I never minded snacking on the pieces that fell out anyway!
I learned this trick a few years ago from Martha Stewart: when one side of the quesadilla is cooked, invert a plate on top of the quesadilla, lift skillet and turn it over (quesadilla is now on the plate), then slide the quesadilla back into the skillet and cook until 2nd side is browned.
Jeanine that is genius! Thanks for sharing a tip that is going to make my life so much easier!
I put all of the stuffing on 1/2 of the tortilla, let it get a bit melted and fold the other half on top. When it gets brown on that side, I just flip it toward the fold and brown the other side. I get the same yield but I end up with 2 semi-circle tortillas instead of 1 round one. Also, I use cooking spray instead of butter when I’m trying to cut down on the fat.
I have used the half quesadilla method before too! If I don’t stuff my quesadilla with too much yummy fillings I don’t end up with a mess. But, who could resist all the yummy fillings? Cooking spray is always an easy option, but since I live on a dairy farm I have to say real butter is still the best!!:)
I make sure I start and end with cheese and use a lid to cover so while the bottom is browning the heat is causing the top layer of cheese to melt to create a “glue” so flipping is alittle easier.
Agreed! Every quesadilla must begin and end with cheese. Using a top lid is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
That is how I do it too. Easy and no mess because the cheese does melt and keep it all together. I also use Pam instead of butter.
can you make these ahead and freeze them?
Debbie, I have never tried making these ahead of time and freezing them. I’m a huge fan of anything that can be made ahead so let me know how it goes if you try it!
I like the plate flip idea … But I made them by heating, filling and folding, so the flipping part is easy lol and the filling stays in and its perfect size for kids lol 🙂
That’s a great idea Berta! If I’m only making a quesadilla for one I make a half and fold it over too!
I am working as a maid.everyday I try to make something new for my employer. Making breakfast is very hard for me.it makes my day full of stress.thinking what would be their breakfast for their everyday living.but when I see this menu really it makes me feel good bcoz they like it.thank you.thank you
I hope these quesadillas make your day a little less stressful! Have a great day!
THIS IS GREAT! QUICK EASY AND YUMMY. .I HAVE 5 KIDDOS AND ONE HUNGRY HUBBY THAT ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE ..THANKS 🙂
Mom’s need a few quick and easy recipes that make everyone happy! These quesadillas are one of those! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi, first time visitor here, I found this recipe on Pinterest. Had to tell you how much we loved it. I neglected to get a photo before we devoured these. To keep the stuffing from falling out I did one tortilla per person and folded it. I thought it gave one less side for things to escape from, and it worked perfectly. Breakfast is always a challenge for my diabetic spouse so I used carb steady tortillas, and making the hard boiled eggs in a batch was the best part. I really love this, and so did my DH
I’m insulin resistant and know how hard it can be to find the right kinds of things to eat for breakfast without getting bored. That’s one reason I love these fun quesadillas. They are worth a little bit of mess!!
That was the idea I was thinking! I make these all the time for lunch…never thought about breakfast! They ARE yummy though!!!
When I make regular quesadillas, I always use my griddle (about 350). The large tortillas fit great and I use one tortilla, put all my ingredients on one side (chesse all over) then just fold it over and it’s so much easier to flip back and forth to brown each side.
It seems like this is a popular method for keeping all the goodies inside the quesadilla! I’m gonna try it!
These we’re delicious and great for breakfast! I was able to flip my quesadilla on the first try too, without spilling, with a good ol’ spatula!
Yay for you! You must have resisted the urge to way over stuff your quesadillas! Thank goodness they are tasty even when they are a mess!
I use one of those green ceramic flippable fry-pans. It works great, no spillage. They are under $10.00 on Amazon.com. I use it for this recipe and for making omelets. Where the pan is non-stick I use about half the amount of butter, just enough to give it that yummy butter flavor.
Sounds like that works perfect for you! I’m so glad to hear you are still using butter! Nonstick baking spray just doesn’t taste the same! (That’s coming from dairy farmer! Haha)
Hmmmm, I wonder what hollandaise sauce would taste like drizzled over top,breakfast quesadilla Benedict
Oh no! You’ve got me thinking! That would be amazing and probably worth the extra calories!
First time visitor. I just couldn’t resist sharing the idea I found that works amazing. You can put the quesadilla in a waffle maker and it will cook it the same way. This way you don’t have to flip or make a smaller quesadilla! We have learned that there are many uses for the waffle maker outside of making waffles. We will be trying these quesadillas this morning.
Oh my goodness, I can’t wait to try this tip. I can already imagine how cute the quesadilla would be with waffle patterns on it, not to mention how easy!
Definitely gonna make these. We love bk burritos so this will be a hit. This for sharing. A tip to not lose ingredients. I use a plate. I put a plate over top upside down(one hand holding it) Take the quesadilla up and flip the plate.. Take spatula and take the quesadilla off the plate and put back in the pan. (the quesadilla should be reversed. I don’t lose any ingredients anymore.
You are going to love these Christina! Another reader suggested the “plate” trick. I can’t wait to try it!
Gonna make some of these for my adult, single son. Then I’ll zip lock bag them and freeze. Hopefully after nuking he will still have a great lunch or snack. Thanks much Amy.
I haven’t tried freezing them, but you know I’m a fan of easy breakfasts! Let me know how it goes!
I love this tip for flipping quesadillas…it’s so easy, I wish I had known about it sooner! 🙂
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cpdzX8AMZ5o
I tried these this morning for my kids. Success!! Thank you so much for the great idea. BTW, so all the ingredients didn’t spill out while flipping, I just put the whole thing in the waffle iron and no flipping required!
I’m dying to try the waffle iron trick. Thanks for sharing!
to flip…. place a plate on top and flip the entire pan and plate, then slide back into the pan.
I made the breakfast quesadillas this morning and they were very good and tasty. Following the recipe I was unsure if the tortillas to use were small ones or large ones plus the T of butter, was it a tsp. or tbs? I also filled half the tortillas with the ingredients and folded them in half and put them in the pan, easier to flip. Will definitely make them again.
Christine, this is a super easy recipe to adjust to your liking. That’s one of my favorite things about it. If you have large tortillas you can use more fillings, if your tortillas are smaller you will obviously use less fillings. Folding them over is a great option, especially if you only want to make a half of a quesadilla. I do use about a Tablespoon of butter, if I’m feeling skinny! I’m a dairy farmers wife and so we eat lots of butter!!
can you just use a quesadilla maker too if u have one. It works great for breakfast lunch pizza and other recipies besides just regual dinner quesadillas
I should quit being cheap and buy a quesadilla maker since they are my go to meal. A waffle iron works pretty good too.
Looks good! Use a waffle iron for these.
I love the waffle iron trick!
Well Amy another way to make without spilling the yummy goodness is instead of putting another tortilla on top, just fold like a taco and toast both side and cut into triangle sizes as you would the big size.
I make them like this when make it for just one person. I should probably start making them like that all the time!
Dear Mrs. Engberson,
To flip a quesadilla without dumping everything out you can try laying a plate the same size as the skillet, inverted over the tortilla, then pick up the skillet with the quesadilla sandwiched in between, and flip the skillet, catching the plate in your opposite hand. Now the quesadilla is on the plate, un-browned side down. Return the skillet to the burner and slide the tortilla into the skillet.
Should work like a charm.
I like the recipe and can’t wait to try it.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Wow..just made these, so easy and delicious! The boiled eggs taste so much better than scrambled. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it! These are so easy to make, especially if I already have boiled eggs in the fridge!
You could could cook the optional items and the main ingredients in one pan and then the tortilla in a different pan, then when the tortilla is done take it off the pan and put it to the side but when the other ingredients are done put them in the tortilla and fold the tortilla and then put it in a panini maker to heat up the tortilla again but don’t leave it in for too long so it won’t burn and then take it out cut it up and serve it.
Yummy
I bet you could do these in a waffle iron and you wouldn’t have to flip them! Or in a panini maker!???
Great idea! I need to try that!
how many calories are in these?
Hi Brenda! I’m not a calorie counter so I have no idea! I assume there’s some sort of program you can plug the ingredients into and it will tell you. Sorry I’m not more help in that department!
These sound amazing! I love quesadillas, never thought to make them for breakfast!
Quick tip…if you have a George Foreman grill..it makes a great quesadilla cooker..3 minutes and done!
That’s a great idea! I used to have a Foreman grill, but I gave it away because it was so hard to clean. That was years ago though. I’m sure they have improved them since then. Breakfast Quesadillas are awesome for quick breakfasts! Enjoy!
I stumbled across this through Pinterest, and was intrigued enough to check it out! I only wish there was a good alternative to the tortilla….however, I can see these being made, refrigerated, and reheated in the microwave for my husband who travels all week, spending his time in motels. Sending a couple of these with him on Monday morning on his way to work sounds like a great alternative to Mickey D’s or some other fast food place….at least for one or two mornings anyway! Thanks for recipe.
Hi Sharon! I’m glad you found me! I’ve never made these with corn tortillas before, but I bet they would be fanastitic! You are so thoughtful to come up with yummy breakfast ideas fro your husband! I bet he appreciates homemade food when he’s on the road. The tortillas get soggy after the quesadillas set in the fridge, but it doesn’t bother my boys at all. They gobble them up for a snack all the time! Enjoy!
Lovely to see it and feels lke I can do it as a catterer..
This would be a great option, especially since you can mostly make them ahead of time!