Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches: Perfect Pairing Ideas

The Philly Cheesesteak is an iconic American sandwich, made with thinly sliced beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. It is a popular regional fast food that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While the original recipe does not include bell peppers, they are often added, along with mushrooms, to the traditional steak, onion, and cheese combination. The Philly Cheesesteak is a versatile dish that can be served in a variety of ways and paired with a range of sides and drinks. So, what goes well with Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches?

Philly Cheesesteak with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs flank steak, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 heaped teaspoon toum, or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons toum, or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (10.5 oz) Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry or fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
• 8 oz sliced cremini, white or Portobello mushroom
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon toum, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt to taste
• Extra toum or olive oil for toasting bread
• Blue cheese or your favourite cheese, such as provolone
• Shredded cabbage or other greens
• 2 eight-inch hoagie rolls, sliced

Optional:

• Jalapenos
• Lettuce and tomato
• Mayo
• Pickles

Method:

Step 1: Marinade the Flank Steak

Mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, toum or garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a large sealed bag with the flank steak. Allow the steak to marinate for an hour or overnight.

Step 2: Prepare the Mushrooms and Onions

In a 10" skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to brown and become translucent. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so.

Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until they soften. As they begin to soften, add the toum or minced garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the Flank Steak

Remove the steak from the marinade and allow it to come to room temperature. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or skillet on high for 5 minutes until hot. Place the flank steak in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Check with a thermometer for the desired level of doneness. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Step 4: Make the Cream of Mushroom Sauce

In a small saucepan on medium heat, add the toum or garlic. If using minced garlic, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and heat until fragrant. Quickly add the can of Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup and whisk until combined. Add the black pepper, thyme, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, adjusting to taste.

Step 5: Assemble the Sandwiches

Toast the hoagie rolls by smearing a bit of toum or olive oil on the inside and placing them on a sheet pan in the oven on broil. Allow the rolls to brown, then begin adding your ingredients: a smear of mushroom sauce, a few slices of steak, onion, and mushroom mixture, more mushroom sauce, cheese, jalapeños, peppers, shredded cabbage, or whatever other toppings you'd like.

Place the filled sandwiches back into the oven on broil for 3-4 minutes until the tops are crisp and the cheese has melted.

Tips:

• Flank steak is very lean and can be dry and tough if overcooked or sliced too thick. It's important to cook flank steak to no more than medium and slice very thinly against the grain.
• Different types of salt have different levels of saltiness. Taste and adjust the seasoning as you go.
• An alternative to cooking a whole flank steak is to purchase pre-sliced carne asada or thinly sliced beef. Season and cook in a hot skillet in batches.
• All components can be made ahead of time and assembled when ready to eat.

Philly Cheesesteak with Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 lb steak tender cuts like ribeye, sirloin, or top round
• 6.5 oz yellow onion (1 large)
• 6.5 oz bell peppers (3 medium-sized, different or same colour)
• 3.5 oz provolone cheese (4 slices)
• 0.2 oz garlic (1 clove)
• 3 tbsp olive oil or other neutral cooking oil; divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 4 long bread rolls like hoagie rolls (Amoroso rolls)

Method

• Cut up the peppers, onions, and garlic thinly.
• Cut the beef into thin slices. Pro tip: it's easier to thinly slice the beef when it's partially frozen, so place the steak in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
• Add half of the oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once warm, add the onions and sauté for a few minutes to caramelize them, stirring occasionally. Then, add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
• Add the peppers and cook for a few minutes to soften them. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set them aside.
• Pour in the rest of the oil, turn up to high heat, and add the thinly-sliced beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook for 3 minutes. Flip the beef and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Once the meat is seared, add the veggies back in and turn off the heat.
• Separate the mix into four portions and add a slice of cheese over the top of each portion. Allow the cheese to melt.
• In the meantime, cut your chosen rolls lengthwise, without cutting all the way through. Butter the insides, then lightly toast them on a dry pan for a few minutes.
• Spread some mayo – or alternative sauce – over the toasted hoagie rolls, then add the meat and vegetables, and the cheese. You can scoop each portion into the bread or place the bread over the portion and flip over with a spatula.

Serving Suggestions

Philly Cheesesteak is a hearty and comforting meal, perfect for game days or any day! It pairs well with potato chips, crunchy dill pickles, or a side of macaroni salad. For a more substantial meal, serve it with French fries or onion rings. A garden salad, southern potato salad, or roasted buffalo cauliflower are also great choices.

Customisation

While the classic Philly Cheesesteak includes only steak, onion, and cheese, feel free to add your favourite toppings! Peppers (bell peppers or hot peppers) and mushrooms are popular additions, and you could even make a "cheesesteak hoagie" by adding mayonnaise, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomatoes. When it comes to cheese, traditional choices include provolone, American cheese (white or yellow), or Cheez Whiz, but feel free to use your favourite – some people like to add a kick with pepper jack cheese. For the meat, ribeye is the classic choice, but you can also use flank steak, beef chuck, or sirloin. Leftover prime rib also works well!

Steak Milano

The Steak Milano is a delicious variation of the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. It is an old-fashioned pizza steak, with all the flavours of the traditional sandwich but with a few added ingredients that bring it to another level.

The classic Philly Cheesesteak is made with thinly sliced rib-eye steak, sautéed onions, and melted cheese, all piled into a long hoagie roll. The Steak Milano takes this a step further by adding fried or grilled tomatoes and a sprinkling of oregano. The tomatoes bring a new level of juiciness and moisture to the sandwich, and the oregano adds a subtle kick of flavour.

The Steak Milano is a great option for those who love the traditional Philly Cheesesteak but are looking for something a little different. It offers a great amount of freshness and a new dimension of flavour, with the crispness of the lettuce, the juiciness of the tomato, and the subtle spice of the oregano cutting through the richness of the steak and cheese.

To make a Steak Milano, simply follow your favourite Philly Cheesesteak recipe and add sliced tomatoes to the pan with the onions, frying or grilling until softened. Sprinkle a pinch of oregano over the cooked steak and onions, then assemble your sandwich as usual.

For a true taste of Philadelphia, serve your Steak Milano with classic deli sides like crispy potato wedges, homemade French fries, coleslaw, or broccoli salad. Wash it all down with a cold glass of blackberry or strawberry lemonade!

Cheesesteak Hoagie

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (ribeye recommended)
• 2 green bell peppers
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 lb provolone cheese slices
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2-4 tbsp mayonnaise

Instructions:

• Slice the ribeye into thin strips. Cut the bell peppers into long strips, the onion into half rings, and chop the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
• Preheat an oiled skillet over high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté until all veggies are golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the sliced beef to the same skillet and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the beef is fully cooked.
• Add the vegetables back to the skillet and stir to combine.
• Spread butter on the hoagie rolls and toast them in a skillet or oven until golden brown.
• Top the beef and vegetable mixture with cheese slices and let the mixture sit for a minute to melt the cheese.
• Stuff the toasted hoagie buns with the mixture.
• Serve immediately with a side of your choice.

Suggested Sides:

• French fries
• Onion rings
• Ranch roasted potatoes
• Garden salad
• Potato salad
• Roasted buffalo cauliflower

Vegan Philly Cheesesteak

The classic Philly cheesesteak is a sandwich packed with thinly sliced beefsteak, mixed with fried onions, green peppers, and mushrooms, then topped with melted cheese. Here is a vegan take on this iconic sandwich, substituting the beefsteak with tofu or vegan beef and using a vegan cheese sauce.

Ingredients

For the tofu steak:

• Extra firm tofu
• Vegan stock cube
• Dark soy sauce
• Dark brown sugar
• Marmite
• Nutritional yeast
• Garlic
• Mustard powder
• Vegetable oil
• Vegan Worcestershire sauce
• Ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt

For the veggies:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Chestnut mushrooms
• Green bell pepper
• Sugar
• Salt and pepper

For the vegan cheese sauce:

• Plant-based milk
• Tapioca starch
• White miso paste
• Nutritional yeast
• White wine vinegar
• Ground garlic
• Onion salt
• Vegan butter
• Water
• Vegan cheese

For the sandwich:

• Hoagie rolls or small soft baguettes
• Vegan butter
• Ketchup
• Pickles

Method

Step 1: Make the tofu steak

• Slice the tofu thinly and remove any excess moisture.
• Create a marinade with the remaining tofu steak ingredients and coat the tofu slices.
• Grill or broil the tofu until crispy, stirring halfway through.

Step 2: Cook the veggies

• Fry the onions in vegetable oil until soft.
• Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.
• Add the mushrooms and green pepper and continue frying until softened.
• Season with sugar, salt, and pepper.

Step 3: Make the vegan cheese sauce

• Blend all the cheese sauce ingredients except for the vegan butter and water.
• Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat until it thickens, whisking constantly.
• Add the vegan butter and water and whisk until smooth.

Step 4: Assemble the sandwich

• Slice and butter the hoagie rolls.
• Toast the rolls in a frying pan and steam with a little water.
• Divide the tofu steak and veggie mixture between the rolls.
• Top with the vegan cheese sauce.
• Serve with french fries, ketchup, and pickles.

Suggested Sides and Variations

Frequently asked questions