Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Living near Philadelphia, we are big fans of cheesesteaks. Many restaurants near us make their own cheesesteaks and, of course, there are the popular restaurants in the city itself. SP even made his own version recently. So when I saw this recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes on Kelly's blog, I had to give it a try.


These couldn't have been easier and the results were delicious. I added some green pepper for color and flavor and I think mushrooms would also be good. We only had two tablespoons of steak sauce left in the bottle, but that ended up being plenty. The cheese sauce is a great addition and made these taste like the cheesesteaks we know and love. I hollowed out the rolls to make a little bed for the meat mixture to sit in, which really helped keep everything together. I'll be making these again for sure.

UPDATE: I've remade these quite a few times and tweaked the recipe, decreasing the amount of broth and making some changes, like melting provolone instead of making the cheese sauce and omitting the green pepper (I'm not really a fan). Two of my favorite ways to serve these are with Cheez Wiz and as a cheesesteak hoagie with shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced raw onion with a smear of mayo mixed with red wine vinegar and a dash of oregano.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
1/2 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
Cheese sauce (see below) or sliced provolone or Cheez Wiz
Optional toppings: shredded Romaine, sliced tomato, sliced raw white onion, 4 tablespoons mayo mixed with a splash of red wine vinegar and a shake of oregano

Cheese sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft and starting to brown. Add the ground beef and cook about 5-6 minutes. Drain off the fat, then stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.

Toast the rolls and set aside.

If making the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. If serving as a cheesesteak hoagie, spread the mayo mixture on the top bun and add lettuce, tomato and raw onion on top of the meat.