How to make a Cheddar Philly Cheesesteak without going to Philadelphia! Skip the Steak Restaurants and pan-fry shaved beef, bell peppers, and onions then serve over toasted hoagie rolls with a cheddar cheese sauce! Simply Divine!
We love cheese sandwiches! Especially if they’ve been inspired by a Restaurant menu! Check out our Copycat Sandwich recipes from Restaurants near you like the Panera Bread Frontega Chicken Panini or Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe.
Cheesesteak Sandwich
Philly Cheesesteaks are the fast-food beef sandwiches we all seem to love! If street cart owners were able to sell these hot roll sandwiches off of a hot dog stand, then we can certainly make them at home! They must have been easy to make if they sold these great sandwiches throughout Philadelphia!
Creating a Cheesesteak is easy. To make cheesesteaks at home you’ll need to buy hoagie rolls (or Italian bread), vegetables of choice (to pan-fry like mushrooms, bell peppers, or onions), a good slab of beef (rib eye or sirloin tip roast), and cheese. Speaking of cheese many prefer provolone cheese over a cheddar cheese sauce but either is a preference. It really depends on what your in the mood for, either a creamy cheese slathered over your beefsteak or cheese slices like provolone.
Once you have all the ingredients, assembly comes together in a classic way for these Philly Cheesesteaks. Matter of fact the original steak sandwich from Pat’s King of Steaks in South Philadelphia just put his cooked chopped up meat on a roll and dressed it with onions before it was on demand. So there really isn’t any order to make a Philly Cheesesteak, just make sure you have some beef and toasted rolls.
FAQ
What kind of Meat to use for Philly Cheesesteak?
The choice of beef that I used for these Cheese Steaks was a Sirloin Tip Roast weighing at about 3 pounds. Some other cuts of beef to choose from when selecting the choice of beef at the meat section are rib eye or top round. I prefer slabs of beef since I like to thinly slice my beef with a mandoline (perfect thin slices.) However, steaks can work too.
The Best Kind Of Cheese?
I asked a question on my Instagram, “How do you like Philly Cheesesteaks, cheddar, or provolone”? And 90% of the responses were provolone over cheddar. I used a 15 ounce can of aged cheddar cheese sauce as seen in these Philly Sandwiches, however, melted Velveeta cheese or a homemade cheese sauce would work too. Just remember Restaurants are likely to use processed and prepared cheese so if you want that taste profile go with canned cheddar cheese or packaged cheese.
Furthermore, provolone cheese melts beautifully and is considered one of the most popular cheeses for Philly Cheesesteaks.
How To Make Thinly Sliced Steak Pieces?
The best way to thinly slice beef is to use a mandoline. To make slicing easier I like to work with frozen beef that has thawed for about an hour (or you can simply place a fresh steak into the freezer for 30-40 minutes to achieve a solid piece of meat.) Then run the partially frozen meat through the mandoline, this creates super-thin steak slices that shrivel up during the cooking and create those meat pieces commonly seen in steak rolls.
If you don’t have a mandoline you can cut the beef with a knife. Simply slice against the grain and trim off any excess fat for easier slicing. To get those paper-thin slices a mandoline is the best tool!
Choose a leaner cut of meat for easier slicing or trim the fat. Beef with excess fat will be hard to cut or slice.
Stovetop or Griddle?
A large surface griddle will make prep and cooking much easier! Making this sandwich on the stovetop requires cooking in batches since a stove can only fit a certain sized pan. However, a griddle is more spacious for searing and cooking the beef and vegetables, as well as toasting the hoagie rolls.
If you don’t have a griddle to cook, toast, and sear your cheesesteaks you can break up all these steps in one frying pan.
- Toast your hoagie rolls in a hot pre-heated pan over high heat (no oil.)
- Saute the onion over high heat in 1 Tbsp of oil until charred (1 minute.)
- Sear the bell peppers in another tablespoon of oil.
- Finally, cook the beef over high heat until the liquid is gone and the beef is cooked thoroughly.
Assemble the sandwiches.
What Goes With Philly Cheesesteaks?
A beefy cheesy Philly Cheese Steak has tons of great flavor! However, if you’re curious about how we eat our Philly Sandwiches, here are some Philly Cheesesteak ideas to mix it up;
- Horseradish sauce
- Mayo (Duke’s)
- Canned Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- Fries and ketchup
- Chips
- Chipotle Southwest Sauce
How To Make Low-Carb Philly Cheesesteaks?
Need some Keto or Low-Carb Ideas to Serve up this delicious steak? Skip the bread and pasta and stuff this delicious steak and cheese combo into your favorite veggies like bell peppers or huge portobello mushrooms!
Ingredients to buy for making Cheesesteaks at home?
When craving Philly Cheesesteaks at home, instead of driving to a Philly Steak Sandwich Restaurant near you go to the grocery store and buy these simple ingredients to make cheesesteaks at home! Making these sandwiches at home will give you more for the buck!
- Hoagie rolls- I used 6 (8-inch) hoagie rolls from a restaurant supply store and 6 white sub rolls from Walmart. I like the 8-inch hoagie rolls for these cheesesteaks as they’re softer and reheat better (as seen in the photos.) The Walmart rolls were darker and chewier plus they didn’t reheat as well.
- Beef sirloin tip roast- any cut of beef meat can work! Choose cuts that don’t have too much fat to trim. Beef with too much fat will be harder to slice. For the best choice, select beef slabs rather than steaks as it will probably be easier to run through a mandoline. Plus, slabs tend to be cheaper than sliced and ready steaks. I have also used chuck roast with good results.
- onions- 2 medium-sized onions, sliced.
- green bell peppers- I also like to run the bell peppers through the mandoline for easier slicing.
- canned cheddar cheese sauce- make a homemade cheese sauce out of real cheddar cheese or buy the canned cheddar cheese sauce found in the Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. Just make sure you don’t pick up nacho cheese.
Quick Ways To Toast Rolls?
The best way to toast bread is face-down on a hot skillet or face-up under the broiler of an oven. The high temperature will create beautiful charred looking bread as if the bread has been toasted over an open flame.
Tips for Philly Steak Sandwiches:
- Use 8-inch Hoagie rolls.
- Marinade beef shavings/slices no longer than 1 hour.
- Use canned cheddar cheese.
- Charr your vegetables.
More Restaurant Sandwich Recipes:
- Frontega Chicken Panini Sandwich Recipe (Panera Bread Copycat)
- Chipotle Chicken Panini Sandwich (Panera Bread Copycat)
- Popeyes Chicken Sandwich (Copycat Recipe)
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich
How To Make Cheddar Philly Cheesesteaks:
Cheddar Philly Cheesesteak
Equipment
- griddle or large frying pan
Ingredients
Cheesesteaks:
- 3 lb beef sirloin tip roast
- 2 bell peppers (sliced)
- 2 onions (sliced)
- 12 hoagie rolls (toasted)
- 15 oz cheddar cheese sauce
Beef Marinade:
- 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
How To Make Cheddar Philly Cheesesteaks:
- Thinly shave partially frozen beef, using a mandoline. Add the beef marinade to shavings and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the onions and peppers with a mandoline. Sear in 3 Tbsp of oil until charred (2 minutes.) Remove and place the pan back on the burner.
- Drain the beef from the marinade and cook in 3 Tbsp of oil over high heat until cooked and juices run dry.
- Microwave the canned cheddar cheese per package instructions. Place the steak, peppers, and onion over each roll. Top with hot cheese sauce and serve.
Notes
- Cheese: to use sliced or shredded cheese simply assemble sandwiches and top with cheese of choice. Run under the broiler until cheeses melt.
- Hoagie rolls- the rolls photographed were 8-inch hoagie rolls. Depending on how many steak pieces you like in your sandwich this recipe can make 10-12 rolls.
