Philly Cheesesteak Skillet—Any Takers?
Raise your hand if you are a Philly cheesesteak sandwich lover? The flavors of this iconic sandwich take me back to summers in LA. My sisters and I would grab a cheesesteak and some garlic fries from a hole-in-wall restaurant, and hit the beach with no SPF and our straps down. Digging into that thinly cut steak, mushrooms, peppers, onions and melted cheese all warm and saucy in a toasted hoagie roll while laying on the beach in that warm SoCal sun?
I’ve taken those memories and turned America’s most famous sandwich into melty, cheesy, steak-and-veggie-packed one-pan skillet dinner. (That just so happens to also be low-carb). Excited to add this to your weekly dinner rotation? So are we.
What Cut of Meat is Best for a Philly Cheesesteak Skillet?
The best cut of meat for this cheesesteak skillet is going to be the exact same as a traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich: ribeye. However, ribeye tends to be on the pricier side when it comes to cuts of meat so we recommend using either skirt steak or flat iron. Whatever cut you choose—ribeye, skirt steak or flat iron—look for lots of marbling. Sliced super thin, any of these three cuts of beef will yield gorgeously tender results.
How to Make a Philly Cheesesteak Skillet.
Perfecting the Vegetables
Starting with a hot skillet—we prefer cast iron—add mushrooms to a dry pan. No need for oil or butter—trust us on this one! Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and cook until just golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the onions and bell peppers. Continue cooking just until onions and peppers begin to brown. You want them to still have a little bite, so a long sauté isn’t necessary.
How to Cook Steak for Cheesesteak
As we mentioned, achieving tender bites of meat has a lot do with the cut you choose from your butcher. Cutting the steak as thin as possible helps as well. Our trick for super-thinly sliced steak? Freeze the meat for an hour or two before slicing. Freezing the meat will make it much easier to slice. A super-sharp knife helps, too.Lastly, a cast iron skillet is key. Cooking steak in a cast iron skillet allows you to cook the meat at a very high heat, yielding tender bites of steak with deliciously crispy edges. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, now is a great time to purchase one.
The Cheese in Cheesesteak
Provolone or cheese whiz are the two most traditional Philly cheese steak cheeses. But, for the sake of using what we—and probably most people—already have on hand we’re going with a still-gooey, melty combo of mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the cheese on top of your finished cheese steak skillet and put under the broiler until the cheese is good and bubbly.
Cheesesteak Skillet or Sandwich?
One of our favorite parts about this one-pan dinner is its versatility! If you’re on the hunt for a one-and-done low-carb dinner, this meat-and-veggie loaded cheese steak skillet is your new best friend. As for the rest of the population, this skillet dinner is ideal for batch-cooking cheese steak sandwiches. Simply toast some hoagie rolls, spread with a little mayonnaise, then evenly divide the prepared dish into the warm bread and enjoy. We’ve also got a great classic Philly Cheesesteak recipe if that’s more your style.
Equipment Needed to Make this Cheesesteak Skillet
More One-And-Done Dinner Ideas:
We all love a good one-pan dish. Easy to make and easy to clean. Hard to beat that, especially when cooking for a crowd. Here are three of our current go-to one-pan dinners:
- This Garlic Butter Steak Stir-Fry comes together in less than 30 minutes!
- These Steak Bites with Sweet Potatoes and a Curry Aioli are a fan favorite.
- How about this Sheet Pan Olive Bar Chicken Dinner? Hit up that olive bar at your grocery store and turn your chicken dinner into something magic.
One-Skillet Dinner Never Had It So Good.
Blown away by this one-pot wonder? Well, we hope you snap a photo of your finished dish and maybe even a video of the beautiful person you share it with. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
