Copycat Mike's Famous Philly Recipe From Jersey Mike's

Jersey Mike's may be a nationwide chain, but true to its name, it was born in the Garden State — Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to be exact. Point Pleasant is considered to be South Jersey, which means it's more oriented towards Philadelphia than New York as far as regional preferences go. This checks out, since one of its popular menu items is based on the classic Philly cheesesteak. People in Philly tend to be serious about their regional dishes, and you'll find a lot of strong opinions about what makes up the perfect cheesesteak. Some might argue that the fast food restaurant's version isn't traditional since many believe that peppers and onions aren't exactly canon, but others swear that it wouldn't be a Philly cheesesteak without them. Jersey Mike's does use them, and so, too, does recipe developer Julianne De Witt.

"This Jersey Mike's copycat is as easy to make as it is delicious. This one was a huge hit in my house — my entire family has already asked that I make this again. I did a lot of research into the Jersey Mike's version, and why this one works in my opinion is the simplicity of the ingredients," De Witt tells us. As she describes the sandwich, "The ribeye is the perfect choice. Because of the marbling, it's a tender cut of meat that remains tender even though it's fully cooked. The peppers and onions add a little sweetness, and the American cheese melts perfectly on top."

You don't need too many ingredients to make this sandwich. Steak, bell peppers (red and yellow are used here), onions, and white American cheese are the heavy hitters, while you'll also need oil for cooking and salt and pepper for seasoning. Add some sub rolls to stick everything in, and you're good to go.

Place the steaks on a plate, then freeze them for 20 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the red and yellow peppers, then slice them into thin strips.

Peel the onion and remove the root end, then cut it in half from top to bottom. Slice each half into

thin strips.

Slice the rolls in half lengthwise, stopping just before cutting all the way through.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the peppers and onions to the skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Set aside.

Remove the ribeye from the freezer. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the steaks against the grain.

Add the steak to the skillet over medium-high heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Saute the steak for 5 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Add the peppers and onions to the steak and mix.

Divide the steak mixture into 4 portions. Add 3 slices of cheese to each portion and heat until the cheese is melted.

Using a long spatula, add a portion of the meat and cheese mixture to each roll. Serve immediately.

• Philly-Style Summer Beer Shandy Recipe
• Copycat McDonald's Fries Recipe
• Homemade Potato Chips Recipe
• Perfect Copycat KFC Coleslaw Recipe
• Crispy Fried Onion Rings Recipe

What cut of meat should you use for a Philly cheesesteak? That may depend on both availability and budget. Ribeye is a popular choice for these sandwiches because it is well-marbled — in fact, downright fatty. Much of the fat melts as it's cooking, though, adding to the flavor, while the marbling makes it tender. It also cooks pretty quickly when sliced thin for a sandwich. That doesn't mean it's the only steak you can use, though — New York strip will also work, although it's a bit tougher, so you might need to cook it less and add a bit of extra fat (oil or butter) to the pan. The same applies to sirloin, which will be a more wallet-friendly alternative.

Of course, you always have other options, as well. For beef on a really tight budget, you can always try the inexpensive shaved steak known as Steak-Umms, a super-affordable meat that can be found at Dollar Tree. Chicken, too, can be used in place of steak. Jersey Mike's, in fact, also lists a Mike's Chicken Philly on its menu. It appears to be made the same way as the beef one, apart from the different type of meat.

Most of the necessary tips for making the most of this recipe are found right in the directions, so if you follow those (apart from any ingredient substitutions you care to make), you'll be on the right track. It starts with freezing the ribeye until it's solid, but not rock-hard. This allows you to slice it thinly and relatively uniformly with ease, as long as your knife is sharp. Speaking of cutting the steak, there's no need to remove any fat, It will melt in the pan and give the meat some extra flavor, and you can always remove any large fat chunks after the meat is done.

Keep an eye on your steak as you cook it, since you want it cooked through, but not dry and overdone. As for the cheese, American (Jersey Mike's choice) is one of the meltiest of them all. If you don't care for the flavor, though, provolone and Cheez Wiz are also traditional for this type of sandwich and mild enough that they won't compete with the meat. Although this recipe calls for melting the cheese atop heaps of meat and vegetables piled in the pan, you can also assemble the sandwiches first and then briefly bake or broil the sandwiches to melt the cheese. This will also toast the rolls, which is something Jersey Mike's typically doesn't do. If you prefer toasted bread, heating the sandwich in the oven may be the way to go.

• Philly Cheesesteak-Inspired Baked Pasta Recipe
• Extra Cheesy Chicken Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
• "Heart Attack" Philly Cheesesteak Sliders Recipe
• "Wiz Wit" Philly Cheesesteak Soup Recipe
• Trader Joe's Philly Cheesesteak Recipe