Homemade Philly Cheesesteak [RECIPE]

Dinner is always a challenge. Not the actual cooking of it but concepting what to cook.

Baked chicken, steak, pasta, tacos, and baby back ribs are some of our go-to's. 

We had chicken and pasta the night before so didn't want either tonight. Beef was the likely option and, as much as I love a good steak, I wanted to try something different, so I took a little more time to browse what Trader Joes had on their shelves. 

Near the salads, they have fully cooked, heat-and-eat meals, like chicken piccata, turkey and mashed potatoes, and beef stroganoff. Been there, done that, and don't want to again.

Further down, next to the raw meat, they have fully cooked meat, like the above-mentioned baby back ribs we like and some uncooked seasoned and unseasoned meats in vacuum-packed packaging.

An unseasoned, uncooked, thinly sliced, vacuum-packed sirloin beef caught my eye. On the front of the packaging it said it was good for tacos, cheesesteaks, and Korean barbecue.

I wanted a philly steak the night before when we did takeout but my 4yo wanted our usual, her favorite, chicken piccata so we had that instead. 

So, tonight, it was my turn and I decided to try this thinly sliced beef and make a philly cheesesteak of my own. 

To keep it simple, I just got a green bell pepper and a baguette. If I wanted to put a little more effort into it, I would have included sliced crimini mushrooms for depth and some onions for flavor.

For cheese, I used sliced havarti, since that's what we have at home. Mozzarella or provolone would be just as good.

The recipe is super simple, fast, and great for novice and seasoned cooks alike. Tag me (@mdesenna) if you try this! xo

Ingredients:

- Beef, very thinly sliced, patted dry

- Bell pepper (any color), julienned

- Cheese, sliced, havarti 

- Bread, slightly toasted

- Salt and pepper

- Cooking oil

1. Heat oil in pan and add peppers. Toss and coat with oil. Cook until slightly softened.

2. Push peppers to edges and add a little more oil to pan. Let the pan heat up again-- you want it to be hot.

3. Add beef. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Break up the beef so it's getting as much surface-area contact with the hot pan but do not stirfry it-- you want to get it to brown/caramelize a little, which it will if it stays in continuous contact with the hot pan.

 

4. Once brown on one side, flip it over and turn off the heat. The pan will still be hot and this prevent the beef from being overcooked. Now is the time to mix the beef with the peppers. 

5. Add sliced cheese on top and cover pan partially with lid to help the cheese melt. Once melted, add mixture to bread and enjoy!

Happy healthy juicy homemade cheesesteak! xo