Fast Breakfast Quesadillas

Serves 2-3

Takes 15 minutes

Finding really quick and delicious Sunday breakfast/brunch recipes is a challenge, but here’s one we love. When does a tortilla become a quesadilla? When a tortilla wrap becomes a half moon stuffed with lovely flavours. These are creamy, herby, cheesy and not fiery. The heat, if desired, comes from the pickled jalapenos. It is very adaptable, sometimes we add some mashed black beans. Sometimes, we use Santa Maria Corn and Wheat Tortillas (widely available in the UK), but love Mexican Kitchen’s all corn ones - particularly the green cactus ones - when we are organised enough to order them online. We also recommend using Mexicana’s Original Hot Cheddar, which is available at Waitrose. It combines cheddar cheese with jalapeño and bell chillies.


4 x 15 cm soft corn or corn and wheat tortillas

60g grated smoked mozzarella (you can also use unsmoked cooking mozzarella)

40g grated mild cheddar (we use goat’s milk cheddar or a spicy mexican flavoured one)

1 fresh green jalapeno, finely sliced, seeds removed

Dried epazote or dried (ideally Mexican) oregano

Salsa:-

3 medium sized ripe tomatoes, quartered and sliced thinly

2 heaped tspns finely chopped chives

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Smoked salt and pepper

To Serve

Pickled jalapeno to serve (optional, but lovely)

Salad leaves (rocket works well)

Mashed avocado (optional)


  • Put your oven on at a low heat. Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Mix the salsa ingredients together in another bowl

  • Lay a tortilla in your frying pan. Add a quarter of the cheeses and jalapeno to one half of the tortilla, keeping the cheese about 1cm from the edge. Sprinkle over a good couple of pinches of oregano/epazote, and fold in half. Repeat with another tortilla wrap. Brush the top side with a little oil. The quesas should sit in the pan like two half moons

  • Switch on the heat underneath the frying pan. It is vital that you cook the quesadilla over a low heat as you want the flavours to meld and the cheeses to melt. Press down gently with a fish slice, but not so hard that the cheese leaks out. When golden brown - you can smell when the tortillas are getting toasted - turn over and brush the cooked surface with oil. Cook the other side until golden. Turn the quesadillas one last time so the uncooked oiled surface can crisp up a little – about 30 seconds. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven

  • Repeat the process with the remaining two quesadillas. When they are all cooked cut in half (it is way easier with a large pair of kitchen scissors). Serve immediately with salsa and pickled jalapeños and salad leaves