I am a sucker for a good cheesy quesadilla so I thought why not make one for breakfast? So that’s what I did. My High Protein Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas are jam-packed with all my favorite breakfast essentials like fluffy eggs, tender turkey sausage, and melty cheese. These overstuffed quesadillas are perfect for a hearty, high-protein breakfast to start your day on a strong foundation.
The best part about this recipe is that you can add anything you want to your quesadilla to make it your own. I like using peppers, onions, and salsa, but you can add anything that floats your boat – the sky's the limit! Plus, you can customize your creation to suit your family’s preferences, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s tough to narrow down the top 3 reasons to love this recipe, but if I had to pick, here they are:
32 Grams of Protein to Start Your Day
I’ve said it a million times, but it always bears repeating, starting your day with a high-protein breakfast is one of the best hacks for staying on track with your nutrition, losing weight, and feeling amazing throughout the day. This High Protein Loaded Breakfast Quesadilla recipe has a whopping 32g of protein to kickstart your morning.
You Can Meal Prep Them
Need a breakfast that you can prep, refrigerate, and grab on the fly on busy mornings? Our Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas will be your new favorite. Prep a workweek’s worth on Sunday and enjoy a hot, protein-packed breakfast all week.
Customize As You Wish
Whether you don’t like onions or prefer bacon to sausage, you can make these breakfast quesadillas the way you like. You can even customize them to match your macros! Need higher protein and lower fat, omit the egg and use all egg whites. Need to increase protein, double your sausage! This recipe makes hitting your macros easy.
My High Protein Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas Recipes
Ingredients
- Breakfast basics with a Mexican flare! Here’s what you need:
- 2 tablespoon yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons green bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ cup turkey sausage crumbles (I used Jimmy Dean’s)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Mission Carb Balance Tortillas
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- ½ cup reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
Ingredient Tips
Choose a low-carb tortilla to keep calories and carbs low. I like to use Mission Carb Balance Tortillas but there are several great low-carb tortilla options out there.
Pre-chop your veggies or buy them pre-chopped: If you’re making this recipe the day of, having your veggies already chopped will save you a step and some time.
Use pre-cooked and crumbled turkey sausage or cook your own. If you can’t find pre-cooked turkey sausage crumbles at your grocery store, you can cook and crumble your own.
How To Make This Recipe (Step-by-Step Instructions)
Kitchen Tools
Here’s what to grab from your kitchen:
- Nonstick skillet
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Griddle or large skillet
- Cutting board
- Knife
Step 1: Cook your veggies
In a large skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray and then add onion and peppers. Allow to saute for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften.
Step 2: Add eggs and turkey sausage to skillet
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites and then add to the pan with the veggies. Gently stir to scramble. Add turkey sausage crumbles to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once eggs are cooked through, remove them from heat.
Step 3: Prep your griddle and add the quesadillas
Heat your griddle or skillet pan over medium, place two tortillas on top. Divide your egg mixture across the two tortillas, keeping the mixing on one side of each tortilla. Top with salsa and shredded cheese and then fold the tortillas in half, pressing down gently to ensure it sticks.
Step 4: Cook and flip
Allow the tortillas to cook long enough for the tortilla to get golden brown and the cheese to melt. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown.
Step 5: Remove from heat and enjoy!
Carefully remove the loaded quesadillas from the skillet, allow to cool, and enjoy! If meal prepping, wrap tightly in foil.
Tips For Success
Keep the filling on one side of your quesadilla before folding: If you place the filling in the middle, it’s difficult to fold the quesadilla over. Keep it to the side for easier folding. Remember, these are loaded quesadillas, so lots of filling needs to fit in there!
Don’t squish them down while cooking too much. Our quesadillas are pretty stuffed, you can gently pat them down while cooking, but don’t fully squish them or your filling will end up all over the place.
Macro Friendly Variations
Protein Adjustment
Increase Protein:
- Increase the egg whites from ½ cup to ¾ cup or even 1 cup. This adds more protein without many extra calories.
- Increase the turkey sausage crumbles from ½ cup to ¾ cup for extra protein.
- Mix ¼ cup of low-fat cottage cheese into the egg mixture. This will melt into the filling and add a creamy texture with additional protein.
Fat Adjustment
Decrease Fats:
- Use ¼ cup of reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese instead of ½ cup to reduce fat.
- Use 1 whole egg and ¾ cup egg whites instead of 2 whole eggs. This will lower the fat without little effect on protein.
Carb Adjustment
Increase carbs:
- Use a regular tortilla instead of a low-carb tortilla.
Serving Suggestions
With fresh fruit
- Serve the quesadilla with a side of fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, or sliced melon. The natural sweetness can balance the savory flavors of the quesadilla.
With avocado slices or guacamole
- Serve with a few slices of fresh avocado or a scoop of guacamole to add healthy fats, a creamy texture, and extra flavor.
With a cool Greek yogurt dip
- Pair the quesadilla with a dip made from plain Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of lime juice and chopped cilantro. This makes a cool, creamy, and macro-friendly dip.
FAQs
Absolutely! Wrap your quesadillas up in foil, refrigerate, and then re-heat when ready to eat.
No one likes a soggy tortilla! To reduce the risk of sogginess, be sure to cook out all moisture from the veggies and sausage before you add them to the quesadilla. Additionally, be wary of how much salsa you are adding. In some cases, leaving the salsa on the side is the best idea to maintain that crispy texture you’re looking for.
You can substitute turkey sausage with other protein options like cooked bacon, chicken sausage, diced ham, or even ground chicken or beef. Anything goes when it comes to our Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas.
Conclusion
Alright, time to get to it! Your hearty, filling, High Protein Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas await, and I promise you that you’re going to love them! Speaking of which, if you do make this recipe and love it the way that I’m confident that you will, can you please do me a favor and leave me a review? It only takes a moment and it means the world to me!
High Protein Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas
Equipment
- 1 Nonstick skillet
- 1 Spatula
- 1 whisk
- 1 Griddle or large skillet
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp yellow onion, diced
- 1 tbsp green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp red bell pepper, diced
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ cup turkey sausage crumbles
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Mission Carb Balance Tortillas
- 2 tbsp salsa
- ½ cup reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
- Add onion and peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk eggs and egg whites together then pour into the pan and gently stir to scramble. Add the turkey sausage to the pan to heat.
- Season with salt and pepper then remove from heat.
- Place 2 tortillas on a griddle over medium heat and divide egg mixture evenly between them, ensuring to keep the egg mixture on one side of the tortilla.
- Top each tortilla with half the salsa, shredded cheese and then fold it over onto itself, gently pressing it down with a spatula.
- Cook, flipping halfway through, until each side of the quesadilla is golden brown and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the pan and serve with desired dips. Enjoy!
