Reality has sunk in…again. After a relaxing 4th of July weekend, we returned home Monday night only to discover that our air has stopped working. We just got it “fixed” two weeks ago. We know that we have much to be thankful for in our lives and air conditioning isn’t vital to our existence, so we are trying to keep a positive attitude about it…but sleeping in an 82 degree room flat out sucks.
Philly Cheese Steaks
Prep Time: 40 minutes (10 minutes actual cooking time)
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
1 loaf Jimmy John’s day old french bread, cut lengthwise
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound steak, thinly sliced (top round, rib-eye or sirloin)
6 slices provolone cheese
Directions
Place the steaks in the freezer 30 minutes before you begin cooking. After 30 minutes, remove the steaks from the freezer and thinly slice. It is much easier to slice the steak thinly when it is slightly frozen.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, two turns of the pan, and the onions and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Push the onions and peppers off to one edge of the pan.
Add the meat to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up with a metal spatula, about 2 minutes. Mix in the sauteed vegetables.
Turn the heat down to low and top with the cheese slices and melt.
Place the sliced Jimmy John’s bread in the microwave for 20 seconds, to soften and get it slightly warm. Use the spatula to scoop the meat mixture into the bread and serve immediately.
Oven Fries
Prep Time
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
4 medium sized russet potatoes
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 425° F. Cut the potatoes into long stripes, approximately 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. Place in a medium sized bowl, add three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and stir, coating the fries. Place on a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking stone.
Cook for 30 minutes, or until the fries start to get slightly brown. Remove from the oven and immediately season with salt.
This meal has made it on to our “all-time favorite” list. Who would have thought that a simple sandwich would be so incredible! We really think the difference maker is the Jimmy John’s bread. Give it a try and let us know what you think!
Steaks in the freezer…genius! I’ve attempted the Philly Cheese before, but the results have always been sub-par. I WILL be trying this one for sure, Dave!
It was a life changing discovery…
Thank you so much for this simple recipe. I adore Philly cheese steaks but have never attempted to make them before, I will sure be making these!
Thanks for trying it Lori!
Even better when served with aus jus for dipping the sandwich in.
Sue – That was my initial thought while I was making this, that some au jus would be awesome. But when I took my first bite I realized it didn’t need it at all! Going straight from the skillet to the soft Jimmy John’s bread, there were tons of juices that got absorbed in the bottom half of the bread. It’s like the recipe has a built in “au jus!” And of course, after explaining this to you, I now am crazing the Philly again!
Looks great! I will try this soon. We get JJ’s day olds a lot, they’re great for meatball subs, too!
My husband absolutely loves Philly steak sandwiches. We tried them with flank steak the last time, but it was too chewy. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Heather – Freezing the meat slightly and slicing it really thin is the key to avoiding the chewy steak. Give it a try and let us know how it turns out!
I just might have to make these for supper tonight
Thanks guys!!!!
what is top round steaks? is that the official name? what steak did you use for your recipe/photos??? i dont normally cook with steak and couldnt find anything called round steaks at the store….
thanks!
Ashely – In the pictures, we used sirloin. Really, any steak will work. Just try to avoid overly fatty cuts of steak. Sirloin and Top Round (or Round steak) generally do not have a lot of fat. Rib-eyes are more expensive and have more fat, but you can trim some of the fat off.