Easy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe

Sure, maybe apple pie is the quintessential "as American as" food, but offered the choice between a soggy slice of pie and one of these classic American sandwiches, which would you choose? Yeah, the Philly cheesesteak, right? We thought so. Chef and recipe developer Michelle McGlinn has been smitten with these excellent East Coast eats since her teenage years: "I visited Philadelphia when I was looking at colleges and sought out Philly cheesesteaks when I went, so I based this [recipe] off of what I had there."

Now, before the cheesesteak purists grab their pitchforks, also note that McGlinn knows people have strong feelings on these sandwiches, admitting that "some will swear by using Cheez Whiz ... but when I went, I had provolone cheese on mine. I prefer white cheeses to yellow, so I chose to use it here, too. [And] I love peppers on my cheesesteaks, [but] the peppers are definitely optional."

Not optional? Buttering those rolls!

Gather your ingredients for an easy Philly cheesesteak

To make a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, you will need hoagie rolls, plenty of butter, a sliced onion, oil, shaved steak (New York strip or ribeye, ideally), salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Oh, and cheese. You'll definitely need cheese. McGlinn calls for provolone, but you can also use American or good ol' Cheez Whiz, depending on your preference.

As for the peppers, if you're using them, you'll need either green and red bell peppers — or really whatever bell peppers you like or have — sliced nice and thin.

Prepare the rolls

First off, preheat the oven to 350 F. As it warms, slice open the hoagie rolls, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small dish, and brush the melted butter onto the insides and edges of hoagies. Be liberal here! 

Next, place the prepared rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until the bread is golden and warm, about 10 minutes.

Cook the onions and peppers

As the buttered rolls warm and lightly toast, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook them until they have softened and turned golden brown; this should take about 10 minutes. "The only tricky part is browning the onions," says McGlinn. "Don't let them burn; keep stirring often. If the onions seem to be burning, you can also turn the heat down and cook gently."

Once the onions have reached this stage, add the sliced bell peppers and stir to combine. Continue to cook until the peppers have softened, about another five minutes.

Cook and season the steak

Remove the cooked veggies from the skillet and add the oil. Once it has warmed a bit, add the shaved steak, stirring occasionally, and cook until it has just browned. While cooking the meat, season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.

Once the meat has browned, drain the grease (if needed) and add the veggies back into the skillet with the steak. Stir to combine, keeping the heat at a medium setting.

Melt the cheese and assemble

Add the provolone slices over the steak and veggie mixture and cook everything until the cheese is melty. Then remove the pan from the heat and stuff everything into the warmed hoagie rolls. And enjoy!

As for serving ideas, McGlinn says french fries and pickles are the classic way to go, adding, "You could also do chips — I like a good kettle cooked potato chip — or a healthy option like green salad or a light coleslaw. I'd also consider roasted potato wedges for a healthier 'french fry.'"

Easy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
5 from 29 ratings
What's better than a steak sandwich? How about a steak sandwich with oozing, melted cheese? Find out how to make this Philadelphia favorite in your own kitchen.
Prep Time
10
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
Servings
4
Sandwiches
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 4 hoagie rolls, sliced open
  • ½ large onion, or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper and ½ red bell pepper, or one whole of either, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 1 pound thinly shaved ribeye or New York strip
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 slices provolone cheese
Optional Ingredients
  • American cheese or Cheez Whiz (instead of provolone, if preferred)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small dish and brush it onto the insides and edges of the hoagie rolls.
  3. Place buttered rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden and warm, about 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes, stirring continuously to avoid burning.
  5. Add bell peppers and stir to combine. Continue to cook until softened, about another 5 minutes.
  6. Remove the veggies from the skillet and add the oil. Then add the shaved steak and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until just browned.
  7. Drain grease if needed and add veggies back into the skillet with the steak. Stir to combine.
  8. Add cheese slices over steak mixture and cook until cheese is melting. Once cheese has melted, remove skillet from heat and stuff filling into the warmed hoagie rolls.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 256
Total Fat 17.7 g
Saturated Fat 7.6 g
Trans Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 54.1 mg
Total Carbohydrates 10.5 g
Dietary Fiber 1.1 g
Total Sugars 0.9 g
Sodium 233.3 mg
Protein 13.4 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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