Philadelphia Cheese Steaks

Aviva Goldfarb


When I first arrived at college in Philadelphia many years ago, someone had to explain to me what a cheese steak was.  After 4 years of eating in the “city of brotherly love”, I learned that a cheese steak is a hot sandwich with cooked beef, cheese, and often onions and other condiments like ketchup and Cheez Whiz.  I don’t know how to say this humbly, but I never thought Philly’s favorite sandwich is as good as the version I now make myself (and my family, who has tried both versions, agrees).  Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Have you ever tried a real Philadelphia Cheese Steak?

Recipe: Philadelphia Cheese Steaks

  • Prep Time: 5 min(s)
  • Cook Time: 20 min(s)
  • Total Time: 25 min(s)
  • Servings: 6

A fail-proof tutorial for the famous Philly Cheese Steak.

Ingredients

    • 2 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 bell peppers, any color, thinly sliced
    • 2 large soft baguettes
    • 1 ½ lbs. sliced roast beef
    • 6 slices provolone cheese
    • ¼ cup ketchup, or to taste, for serving (optional)
    • 2 tsp. hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco, or to taste, for serving (optional)

Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft and the onions are starting to brown, 8 - 10 minutes. After about 5 minutes, put the baguettes in the oven to warm them.
    • Transfer the onions and peppers to a bowl, cover them, and set them aside. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Cut the roast beef into thin strips and sauté it in the oil, stirring frequently, until it is heated through, about 5 minutes.
    • Remove the baguettes from the oven and slice them lengthwise, cutting them most of the way through. Line the bottoms of the sandwiches with the cheese, and top it with the beef, onions and peppers. Cut each baguette into 3 sandwiches, and serve them warm, topped with the ketchup and hot pepper sauce, if desired.
P Print

  • http://www.lakebreeze.org Dawn Klein

    These sound delicious! We’ll have to make them soon!

  • http://www.michelescafe.blogspot.com michele

    I had a college friend who would make us hoagies. I’ve only tasted better in NJ! Now I make my own too. Especially since I can’t take a hiadus to Jersery every time I get the desire for a hoagie and I haven’t seen hide or hair of that friend from college in … many year. Yours looks good. I’m not a fan of green pepper but onions, tomatoes, and crisp lettuce with provalone. The great thing about sandwiches is you can make em to your taste.

    • http://www.thescramble.com Aviva Goldfarb

      thanks, Michele, I hope you enjoy them and I agree you can customize them to your tastes, even making them vegetarian with meatless deli slices.

  • Lynn Bryan

    That sounds good, Aviva. I will try those. Do you use sliced roast beef from the deli? I like mine with provolone, onions, mushrooms and horseradish mayo.
    Yes, I have had Philly Cheese steaks in Philly.
    At Reading Terminal Market. They put sharp provolone on it. OMG, was it good! I didn’t even know there was such a thing as sharp provolone! Wow!
    Any Chicagoans out there, Philly’s Best, in Logan Square, Belmont/Halsted, Greek Town and Evanston, is the best Philly cheese steak in Chicago.

    • http://www.thescramble.com Aviva Goldfarb

      Lynn, I love your idea of adding horseradish to the sammies! Yes, I used natural sliced roast beef, such as Applegate Farms (I try to avoid nitrates).

  • Pingback: Kitchen Explorers . Food & Fitness . PBS Parents | PBS