How To Turn Leftover Pancakes Into An Unexpected Dinner

If you have extra homemade pancakes, you could just reheat them and have them with syrup. But, we have a better idea: Give them a second life by turning them into pancake quesadillas.

Pancake quesadillas are exactly what they sound like — quesadillas that are made with pancakes instead of tortillas. They're as delicious as they is unique, and they make for the perfect combination of savory and sweet. Plus, just like traditional quesadillas, this dish is super customizable. It's a way to use up some other ingredients in your kitchen that need to be eaten before they go bad. 

For example, maybe you make this a veggie-heavy quesadilla and use up bell peppers and onions that have been sitting around — you'll just have to cook them before adding them to the pancake quesadillas. Veggies and leftover meat, such as chicken or steak, up the ante on the savory element to match the pancakes' sweetness.

You can make these quesadilla pancakes a number of ways — in the oven, in an air fryer, or on the stovetop. Since everything is already cooked, all you have to do is melt the cheese, so choose whichever method is easiest for you. Assemble this dish as you would a normal quesadilla: bottom pancake, cheese and other ingredients, then top pancake.

Breakfast quesadillas are quesadillas that are filled with breakfast items, such as scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheese. If you like the idea of breakfast quesadillas, then you might as well swap out the tortillas for leftover pancakes again to make the dish even more breakfast-y while adding a sweet factor.

Breakfast pancake quesadillas can be as simple as just scrambled eggs and cheese. This version will be sweet, savory, cheesy, and utterly delicious. But, you can also add in some other savory breakfast items, such as bacon, sausage, veggies, or some combination thereof for a more dynamic breakfast. If you're hosting a brunch, you can even let each guest choose which breakfast ingredients they want in their pancake quesadillas.

Whatever ingredients you put inside the pancake quesadillas, you can drizzle maple syrup over the top if you're looking for even more sweetness. A dusting of powdered sugar is another great option for this. Or, if you want a more savory topping, you can pair the breakfast pancake quesadilla with your favorite salsa.