“Edge-to-Edge” Breakfast Quesadillas Are My New Favorite Way to Start the Day

I only eat cereal at night. As much as I’ve tried to become a yogurt person or get into overnight oats, I like to start my day with hot food. And finding an exciting-yet-quick breakfast that can be made in 10 minutes or less has been a challenge — or at least it was, until I discovered edge-to-edge breakfast quesadillas.

I was inspired by the Indian bread omelet that went viral in 2019 and took that method and swapped in tortillas for bread. By cooking the egg directly onto the tortilla, it can spread edge to edge and make sure that every bite has every ingredient in it. This can be as simple as seasoned scrambled eggs and American cheese (the meltiest!) when I’m in a rush for time, or with onions, mushrooms, and spinach when I want something veggie-forward. Or with meat like crumbled cooked breakfast sausage, bacon, or sliced Spam with cheddar, Swiss, or pepper Jack cheese. The creative combinations are endless.

I’m not claiming to have invented this, but it’s been a go-to breakfast for me for years now. If I’m not too hungry or just want a snack, I’ll do one tortilla as a roll-up or tiny burrito instead of a quesadilla. (This would also work for kids with smaller appetites.) I prefer to use a large tortilla (8 inches) and a similar-sized nonstick pan to keep the egg from spilling over the edge of the tortilla. With a nonstick pan, you don’t need much oil or butter, but I encourage using some to make sure the tortilla can brown evenly and get nice and crispy; in a dry pan, it will get more toasty and crunchy than delightfully crispy.

First, whisk together 2 large eggs with a hefty pinch of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a shake of garlic powder (or however you’d like to season it.)

Heat a medium nonstick skillet (8 to 10 inches) over medium-low heat for at least 2 minutes to let it warm up. Add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil and evenly coat the pan, then pour in your scrambled eggs. 

Use a spatula (I like a silicone one for this) to gently push the cooked eggs that develop around the edges toward the middle and tilt and swirl them around the pan, letting uncooked eggs fill in the gaps. It should take a minute or less until the eggs are about halfway set; they should look runny on top.

Set a tortilla on top of the eggs and let it cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. The tortilla will adhere to the eggs, so when you flip it, it will stick together and keep it from falling apart.

Flip, add your cheese and fillings of choice then another tortilla. Cook until the underside of the quesadilla is evenly golden-brown. 

Flip carefully and cook until the other side is browned and the cheese is melted. (To speed up the “meltification,” you can cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil.)

Finally, remove from the skillet and cut into eight wedges. I like to mix up a few spoonfuls of sour cream or Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and a pinch of garlic salt thinned with a splash of water as a dipping sauce, but salsa, guacamole, or just hot sauce would work, too.

This is a big quesadilla, so sometimes I wrap up half for the next day — it reheats well in a toaster oven or air fryer (350°F for about five minutes, or until crispy with melty cheese). You can also make a few of them, wrap in aluminum foil, and store in freezer bags for easy breakfast meal prep so that Future You can sleep in.