A quick & Easy spicy breakfast made with roasted New Mexico chile.
NOTE: The times mention here are variable and change with how high the heat is, the temperature of the ingredients, and how hot the skillet is when you start. Be sure to read the Kitchen Notes about Flipping the Quesadilla.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
Carefully flip the quesadillo* and increase the heat to medium. Cook for another minute or 2 until the second corn tortilla is crispy brown and the egg is set.
The Skillet – The skillet is a pretty important item for this sandwich to come out right. Because the egg is scrambled, when you pour it on top of the first tortilla, it naturally spreads to fill the pan; therefore, you want the pan to be sized so that the egg doesn’t run beyond or under the edges of the tortilla and that it stays within the perimeter of the tortilla as much as possible. I found this cute little cast iron skillet (see pictures) at an estate sale a while back and it is perfect for this dish because its the diameter of a corn tortilla.
Butter – The reason you butter the sides of the skillet is to keep the egg from sticking, making the sandwich easier to flip. You don’t want butter on the bottom of the skillet otherwise your tortilla gets too buttery and you don’t get this beautiful crispy browning of the tortilla.
Chile Relleno – One large chile cut in half is all I need; however, you should be able to fit 1 ½ chiles in the skillet if you want more. Just be sure to leave enough space between the relleno pieces so that the egg mixture can rise between them and wrap around the top. Don’t wait too long to place the rellenos in the egg mixture. You want the egg to be uncooked enough so that as it cooks it encases the rellenos.
Cheese – My favorite cheese for this dish is Manchego or an aged cheddar. Too soft of a cheese can melt into the egg mixture preventing it from setting properly. The firmer and older cheeses stay contained so you get a nice bite of chile and cheese with your eggs.
Egg Mixture – You can season the egg any way you want to. I like to keep it simple with a touch of oregano and chile powder, but add whatever flavors you like with egg and green chile.
Flipping the Quesadilla – This is the tricky part. If you flip too soon you end up throwing egg all over the stovetop. I know this from experience. If you flip too late, then by the time the second tortilla is crispy brown, the egg is overcooked, dry and hard. So rather than use “times”, I use my eyes. The majority of the cooking is done on medium low heat before your flip it. When the egg just starts to set between the chile pieces, it’s time to place the second tortilla and flip.
The Finishing Touch – There are many creative finishing touches here. I really like the tartness of Green Chile and Tomatillo Salsa, but a green chile sauce or even a red chile sauce make a great finish. Just top each bite with some salsa, or dip the quesadilla in a sauce and enjoy.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen