Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches Made Easy
Got a hankering for a hearty sandwich filled with sautéed green peppers, mushrooms, caramelized onions, beef and cheese, but don't want to fuss with the beef and the gravy dipping sauce? Well, this is the recipe for you! Here you cook the beef - low and slow - in a slow cooker with beer, whiskey, onions and garlic ahead of time, and then when the beef is ready, sauté the vegetables and assemble the sandwiches. The best part? You can cook the beef and veggies a day ahead!
YIELD : 4 man-sized sandwiches
Equipment
- 6-litre slow cooker
Ingredients
In the slow cooker:
- 1 medium onion peeled and sliced into rings
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 1½ pound sirloin roast cut against the grain into 1"-1½" wide but thin strips (about ¼" thick)
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper ground
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp thyme
- 2 tbsp whiskey
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 can beer
- 2 cubes beef bouillon adds an intense flavour to the gravy. This can be left out but the flavour will not be as deep.
- 1 whole jalapeno seeded and sliced
The veggies:
- 2 pounds mushrooms I use both white button and shitake. Slice or chop the mushrooms.
- 3 large onions cooking or Spanish
- 6 small peppers I like to use a mix of poblano and green bell peppers.
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided-used in both the sauté of the mushrooms and peppers
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil used to sauté the onions
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter divided- used in both the sauté of the mushrooms and onions
- ¼ tsp salt to taste
- ¼ tsp pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- optional: 2 garlic cloves minced to add to the sautéed mushrooms for 30 seconds after the mushrooms are done cooking
Remaining ingredients:
- 4 large buns
- 16 slices provolone cheese or substitute mozzarella
- 1 tbsp flour for making the gravy
Instructions
Cook the beef:
- To the slow cooker, add the onions, sliced jalapeno and garlic. Top with the sliced beef. Sprinkle the spices over the beef. Whisk the whiskey, beer, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and bouillon and add to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4. Note: The beef will be cooked in a lot less time than this. However, cooking the full length of time ensures that the meat is tender and the gravy is intense with flavour.
Prepare the veggies:
- To a large frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat to medium-high. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium- low and cook until golden brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
- To a large frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter and heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are a golden brown. Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. (Note: Once the mushrooms are golden brown you can add 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in medium pan over high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the gravy:
- Strain out the garlic and onions from the beef broth and add to a small saucepan. Discard the solids (garlic, onion, jalapeno) and bring the strained broth in the saucepan to a boil.
- Whisk one tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of water or cool beef broth. Add the flour mixture to the boiling saucepan and cook the gravy until thickened. Remove from heat.
Assemble the sandwiches:
- Turn the oven on to broil and adjust the rack in the oven to the highest position.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and cut the buns in half and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until lightly toasted. (Under a broiler this will take less than 2 minutes so watch the buns closely.)
- Add two slices of cheese to each open toasted bun half. Put under the broiler again until the cheese is melted (about 30 seconds-1 minute.) Remove from oven.
- Mix some gravy into the beef strips and top the bun with beef.
- Add the caramelized onion, pepper and mushroom topping. Top the sandwich with the other bun half.
- Serve with a side dish of gravy!
Notes
I like to buy a 3 pound sirloin roast when making the beef for this sandwich. Then I slice the whole roast and freeze half to be used for this recipe at a later date.
Nutrition
Serving: 1-large sandwichCalories: 831kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 56gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 139mgSodium: 654mgPotassium: 1866mgFiber: 8gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 901IUVitamin C: 106mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 14mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This is the BEST sandwich I have ever made! When making this recipe I used Molson Canadian beer, but left out the whiskey (I don’t drink enough alcohol to have that in the house!). After about 4 1/2 hours in the slowcooker, I flipped the beef so that both sides were submerged in the drippings for about 1/2 the total cook time. I also tested a piece of the beef, and while it was cooked after 4 1/2 hours, it was not nearly as tender as it was after the full 8 hours! The estimated cook time to caramelize the onions was also bang on (40 minutes on low, the #2 setting on my stovetop). Since I don’t own a mesh strainer, I used a ladle to transfer the drippings to a sauce pan to prepare the gravy, which turned out perfect! I just might have to make a batch of the gravy for mashed potatoes at some point in the near future! I also used ciabatta buns for my sandwiches and will probably be able to make 5 total (including the one that I had today). I will definitely be making this a regular feature at my dinner table! Thanks for sharing!
We tried this recipe tonight and it did not disappoint! The beef was tender, and the gravy was delicious. This will be a regular menu item at our home for sure!