Weekend Breakfast Quesadillas

I believe in weekends.

On those beloved two open days, it’s important to blow off steam from a stressful work week, spend time with your loved ones, stay up late with a movie and ice cream, try something new in the kitchen, get outside- anything to break up weekday habits (that can start to feel monotonous sometimes). This weekend, we went on long, sunny hikes with Cholula (me) and tackled 5,000 feet in elevation gain for a back-country ski run (not me).

As much fun as it is to play away the weekend, it’s also often the only available time to tackle the ever-present to-do list– and this weekend, our list was long. So we set aside Sunday as a “work” day, helping each other through dishes, laundry, a mountain of glass and cardboard recycling, hanging neglected artwork, paying bills, etc. But not before John made breakfast.

I’ve mentioned before that John is an incredible chef. Years working behind the line in a restaurant made him comfortable in the kitchen; confidence is the first step toward great cooking. When we first moved in to our home, we kind of argued over who would get to cook in the new kitchen each night! His work keeps him away from home until dinnertime during the week, so I tend to do much of the cooking. But on the weekends, Chef Hubby hops in- and brunch is his specialty.

After family snuzzle time with Cholula in bed, I switched on the Cooking Channel. Bobby Flay was working some magic with tortillas and hash browns, and it looked fabulous. John was inspired and created a breakfast better than any restaurant’s: Breakfast Quesadillas. Yum! He started with the taters. He sautéed chopped onion in some oil and added a package of frozen organic hash browns. He seasoned them and let them get browned and delicious.

While the potatoes were doing their thing, he fried up a pan of chopped bacon (twice– the first batch burned. Cholula was entirely disappointed in the situation.). He also chopped up more onion, bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and fresh herbs (parsley and cilantro). He drizzled the veggies in a little bowl with just a smidge of olive oil and seasoned the mixture well. He also shredded cheddar and provolone cheese.

Time to assemble the quesadillas! He sprayed a sheet pan with olive oil cooking spray and laid out two tortillas. First came a layer of cheddar, then potatoes, then provolone, then bacon. He topped it with a bit more cheese and another tortilla and popped the pan in a hot oven for ten minutes. He flipped the quesadillas and let the other side brown for a few more minutes while he cooked two eggs (over medium).

To plate the quesadillas, John topped them with the veggie and herb mixture and laid the beautiful eggs right on top. A sprinkling of herbs, a crack of black pepper, and avocado as garnish… Voila! YUM.

The quesadillas have all of the components of a traditional breakfast- eggs, hash browns, bacon, cheese, herbs and spices- but the presentation is special and fun. When I cut into the quesadilla through the egg, the yolk dripped into the crunchy bacon and potatoes, mingling with the melted cheeses. We (obviously) added plenty of hot sauce for heat. A weekend masterpiece and the perfect way to start our Sunday!

Though instead of tackling the to-do list, we may have preferred a mid-morning nap. Isn’t that what weekends are for?

What’s your weekend tradition? How do you blow off steam from your work week? 

Weekend Breakfast Quesadillas

You’ll need:

• Four small tortillas
• 2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 5 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup each shredded cheddar and provolone
• 1 cup fresh veggie/herb mixture: onion, peppers, tomato, parsley, cilantro
• Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
• Two eggs

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Crisp the bacon and set aside.  Saute the onions in a swirl of olive oil (or the bacon grease). Add the hash browns, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned. On a sprayed sheet pan, place two of the tortillas. Top them evenly with half of the cheddar cheese. Layer on the hash browns, provolone, bacon, and the rest of the cheddar. Place the other two tortillas on the top and let them cook in the oven for ten minutes or less, until the cheese is starting to bubble and the tortillas are getting browned around the edges. Flip the quesadillas and give them a few more minutes in the oven.

Cook the two eggs to your preference (we like over medium).

To plate the quesadillas, top them with the veggie and herb mixture, an egg, and a sprinkling of herbs. Serve with hot sauce, avocado on the side, a tasty smoothie, and cheers to the weekend. Yum!

Hungry for more? Check out the collection of recipes on the FOOD BLISS link above!