Name: Cheesy Breakfast Quesadilla
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 sweet potato (diced); 2 cup fresh spinach; Half a sweet onion (diced); 4 sausage links (Applegate Naturals Chicken & Maple Breakfast Sausage ); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon cumin; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 6 slices Applegate Naturals American-Style Colby Cheese; 6 slices Applegate Naturals Pepper Jack Cheese; S&P (to taste); 6 gluten free tortillas (or any tortilla of choice); 3 fried eggs; 1 avocado; ¼ cup Greek yogurt; 1/4 cup cilantro; Juice of half a lime; 2 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons water; S&P (to taste)

This cheesy breakfast quesadilla is filled with sautéed sweet potatoes, spinach, onion and Applegate Naturals Chicken & Maple Sausage and Applegate Naturals American-Style Colby Cheese and Applegate Naturals Pepper Jack Cheese. Then topped with a runny fried egg and served with a avocado crema. Delicious, wholesome, extra cheesy goodness!

This post was created in sponsorship with Applegate. All the opinions are my own.

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day! I’m that person that lies in bed at night dreaming about what I’m going to eat the next morning. And rightfully so! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it should be delish!

During the week, I usually eat a quick meal like a yogurt or smoothie. But on Saturday or Sundays when I have time to savor the mornings and spend more time in the kitchen (a.k.a. my happy place), I like to create a more hardy and interesting breakfast!

My latest breakfast creation is my cheesy breakfast quesadilla. It’s loaded with my favorite produce, sautéed sweet potatoes, spinach and onions. It’s got a nice spicy kick from some Southwestern spices, like cumin, paprika, and cayenne. And it features Applegate Naturals Chicken & Maple Breakfast Sausage for a sweet and savory bite and Applegate Naturals new American-Style Colby Cheese and Applegate Naturals New Pepper Jack Cheese for that perfect cheesy goodness that you expect from a great quesadilla. Then this masterpiece is topped with a runny fried egg – because what’s a great breakfast without it?!?

I’m proud and excited to be working with Applegate on this recipe because Applegate is a respectable company that strives to create high quality and natural ingredients. Their products are made from a quality milk pool from humanely raised cows, without GMO ingredients, and sourced from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, which is all part of their mission.

Applegate’s natural sausage and cheeses makes these quesadillas extra delicious, and you can also feel good about eating it too! Yaas!

Let’s get to cooking!

The first step to creating these quesadillas is cooking the filling. To make sure all the vegetables are cooked perfectly, I cook the them in batches.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced sweet potatoes and a healthy pinch of salt. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. You want the potatoes to caramelize on the outside but soften on the inside. Once they are cooked, remove from the pan.

Add in the onions, a little more olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about a minute or until the onions are translucent, then add the spices and cook until fragrant and mixed into the onions. Cooking the spices helps bring out and intensify their flavors.

Next, add the spinach and another pinch of salt. Cook until the spinach is wilted and cooked down. Add back in the sweet potatoes. Also, add the cooked and diced sausage (just cooked according to package instructions and cut in chunks). Stir until all the ingredients are well combined.

Voila! There’s your hearty, tasty filling.

I used sweet potatoes because they are my fav and I love their sweet taste and hearty texture. I used spinach to add some nutritious, antioxidant rich greens to my breakfast for a healthy jump start to the day! I added onions for extra flavor. Finally, I used Applegate’s apple and chicken sausage because it’s sweet and savory and adds more substance to this dish.

Time to assemble the quesadillas. I found it was easiest to build the quesadillas in the skillet as it creates less mess and helps the cheese fully melt.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Add one tortilla to the bottom of the pan. I used a gluten free tortilla, but you an use whole wheat, spinach, or any kind you like.

Add 2 slices of Applegate Naturals American-Style Colby Cheese. Top with desired amount of filling. Add 2 slices of Applegate Naturals Pepper Jack Cheese. Then finish with another tortilla. Turn heat up to medium-high. Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Flip the quesadilla and cook until the other side is cooked through too.

I know sliced cheese is not typical for a quesadilla, but I discovered it actually works so much better! It creates an even layer of cheesy goodness, and it’s so much easier to flip the quesadilla and keep it intact with the slices as opposed to the shredded cheese that just ends up everywhere!

Why use Applegate’s New Natural Cheeses?

Quality Milk Pool- Unique milk pool source that ensures high quality that leads to better cheese.
Non-GMO Project Verified– To ensure traceability and meet the highest possible standards for GMO avoidance, the new cheese line has been third-party verified by The Non-GMO Project!
Elevated Animal Welfare Standards– Humanely raised cows raised in small herds that are pasture raised and never administered antibiotics or hormones (RBGH or RBST).
Community Partnerships– Applegate powers and sustains independent, family-owned farms, supporting their traditional farming methods and their communities across America.
New Family Favorites– The new line offers six sliced varieties, including a proudly not-processed American-Style Colby, and three shredded offerings.
Pure, Simple Ingredients– No artificial ingredients, preservatives, or added colors. Woo!

Here’s where to buy Applegate Naturals new cheeses near you….you just need to enter your zip code. And here’s a coupon for the cheeses too!

Ok let’s finish up these quesadillas so you can eat! Repeat the cooking process until you have made 3 whole quesadillas. Cut each quesadillas into 6-8 slices. Pull the slices apart to achieve the beautiful cheese pull moment. Oh yes!

I like to serve these quesadillas with an avocado cream. To make this sauce, you simply add all of the ingredients to the food processor, avocado, greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, a touch water and S&P, and blend until smooth and creamy. The light, bright sauce works perfectly with the hearty, rich quesadilla.

I also add a fried egg on the top of each whole quesadilla. Because what’s breakfast without a runny egg yolk!

This extra cheesy, hearty breakfast is just what you need on a relaxing, weekend morning. It’s a delicious and nutritious way to start your morning. It’ll have you lying in bed and dreaming about breakfast too!