[symple_box color=”gray” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]Ready for a hearty breakfast? This cheesy quesadilla is stuffed with pan seared sirloin, sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and fried eggs with runny yolks. Sure to keep you full until lunch! [/symple_box]

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I hope everyone had a great weekend! Nick and I took it pretty easy… we went out to dinner on Saturday (On The Border… I got spinach and mushroom enchiladas with sour cream sauce. Wasn’t a big fan) and then saw Amy Schumer’s movie Trainwreck which was pretty funny! I definitely had some good laughs. My favorite part was when Amy was on the subway and it stopped, and she asked the lady standing next to her why the train stopped and the lady’s response was hilarious. There were several other parts where I was laughing to the point of tears. Nick wasn’t a big fan, because it was a pretty girly/cheesy movie but the parts with Lebron James kept him laughing too. 

On Sunday Nick and I went to my grandparent’s house for dinner with my family– my aunt, uncle and cousin were all in town from Minnesota so we had a chance to catch up with them and eat pizza and chocolate cake. <3 Now it’s back to the daily grind!  

Today I’m sharing entry #1 for the recipe contest sponsored by the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner campaign. It’s funny how much I love beef now because growing up, we never ate it. My mom doesn’t eat red meat so she just never made it for the family. I didn’t experience my first steak until probably high school!

Nick is a huge fan of beef, so ever since we moved in together two years ago, I’ve been making it about twice a month. I’ve grown to love it– especially a good, rare steak. For my birthday last week I ordered an 8oz filet mignon, medium rare, and it was perfect. 

I like my steaks to be pretty rare, so that they melt in your mouth.  There’s nothing worse than a chewy piece of beef. That’s why I always try to cook mine just to the point of medium-rare, or I’m sure to marinate it a while or cook it in liquid to give it plenty of moisture. 

Eat 20-30 grams of protein, like lean beef, at each meal and you’ll feel the difference. Research has shown that people can lose/maintain a healthy weight and support a healthy metabolism when they consume more high-quality protein, within their calorie goals. One big benefit of eating protein throughout the day is feeling satisfied after a protein-rich meal (which helps reduce mindless eating, builds muscle, and reduces body fat). With 25g of protein and 10 essential nutrients in just one 3-ounce serving, lean beef can fit on your plate and make a big difference in how you feel! 

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“I received beef product mentioned in this post at no cost. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Beef Checkoff and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Today’s recipe is for a cheese quesadilla, stuffed with pan-seared (in butter and olive oil <3) sirloin steak, sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and two fried eggs. If this isn’t a hearty breakfast, I don’t know what is. I had this for lunch after I photographed it (which btw it’s super hard to photograph quesadillas…) and I only ate half because of how filling it was! 

I absolutely love the combination of spinach and mushrooms. I order them on everything (hence the s/m enchiladas I ordered this weekend) and they taste especially awesome with melty cheddar, fried egg, and a crusty on the outside/melt in your mouth inside steak. 

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Pan-searing steak is actually very easy. All it takes is a hot skillet, olive or canola oil and some butter, salt and pepper. You want a high heat so the outside gets nice and crispy, and the inside stays moist.  Sirloin is a very lean cut of meat so there was hardly any fat on it but it stayed very moist. 

I use this quesadilla maker. If you don’t have one, you should seriously invest in one. If not, you can just use a large skillet over medium heat and flip after about 2 minutes on each side until the cheese melts. 

Here’s the recipe! 

Pan-Seared Sirloin Quesadilla with Spinach, Mushrooms & Fried Eggs
Yields 2
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Ingredients
  1. 2 large eggs
  2. cooking spray
  3. 2 cups spinach
  4. 1 small carton mushrooms (I used baby portobello)
  5. garlic powder, to taste
  6. 2 tsp olive oil
  7. 2 Tbsp butter
  8. 1 small sirloin steak
  9. Kosher salt and black pepper
  10. 4 whole wheat flour tortillas
  11. 1 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Plug in and pre-heat quesadilla maker.
  2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium. Crack the eggs and cook until the whites are just starting to set. Using a spatula, carefully remove the eggs and set aside on a small plate.
  3. Drizzle a little olive oil into the skillet and add the mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the mushrooms have shrunk, then add the spinach and sprinkle with garlic powder, to taste. Cook until wilted. Move the mushrooms and spinach to a small bowl and set aside.
  4. Salt and pepper one side of the steak.
  5. Heat the skillet to medium high heat, and add the olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the steak, seasoned side down. Let cook for two minutes, then flip the steak.
  6. Add the butter to the skillet and after it melts, use a spoon or brush to baste the steak. Allow the steak to cook for two more minutes on this side.
  7. After two minutes on each side, keep flipping and basting the steak, 30 seconds on each side before turning. Steak will be medium-rare at the 5-6 minute total cooking time mark. Cook a minute or two longer for medium to well done.
  8. Remove the steak from the skillet and allow to rest on a plate or cutting board for about five minutes. Slice into strips.
  9. Assemble the quesadillla: two tortillas, steak strips, mushrooms, spinach, eggs and cheese. Cook for 3 minutes.
Notes
  1. If you don't have a quesadilla maker, you can use a large skillet over medium-high heat and flip at the 1-2 minute mark.
Zen & Spice https://zenandspice.com/
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7 Comments

  1. Yum! I always love a good steak!…and a good quesadilla! ;)

    1. Me too– and they’re even better combined! :)

  2. Love the way you think girl…egg plus beef will keep me full till lunch too! I like my steak rare too.

    1. Nothing better than a juicy rare steak!!

  3. I so want this for breakfast tomorrow morning! I love everything about it and those fried eggs take it to the next level!

    1. Thanks Sonali! It’s sooo filling!

  4. Congrats! Just added this to our ReDux FB page!

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