Sandwiches

Serving

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Philly Cheesesteak

Name: Philly Cheesesteak
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Sandwiches
Ingredients: 8 oz ribeye steak (very thinly shaved); 3 slices provolone cheese (or Cheez Whiz); 1/2 large yellow onion (thinly sliced); 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 fresh hoagie roll (split); salt and black pepper to taste

Thinly sliced steak topped with melted cheese and sautéed onions in a hoagie roll.

25 minutes

Serves 1

Dinner

11 min prep

19 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy Wheat

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Good to know

Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: 30-minute meals

Instructions

6 steps

1
For easier slicing, place the ribeye in the freezer for 20 minutes before cutting it against the grain into paper-thin shavings.
2
Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a wide skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are deeply caramelized and soft. Remove and set aside.
3
In the same skillet, increase the heat to high and add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil. Add the shaved steak, spreading it out evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4
Cook the steak for 2-3 minutes without touching it to develop a brown crust. Then, chop and toss the meat continuously with a spatula until cooked through (about 2 more minutes).
5
Mix the caramelized onions back into the meat. Shape the mixture into a rectangle roughly the size of your hoagie roll.
6
Lay the provolone cheese slices directly on top of the meat. Once the cheese melts (about 30 seconds), place the split hoagie roll face-down over the meat and cheese. Use a spatula to scoop underneath and flip the entire assembly right-side up. Serve hot.

Philly Cheesesteak — plated and served — Serving moment. How Philly Cheesesteak looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

75/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 96

Budget-friendly 50

Great leftovers 56

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

755

Calories

57 g

Protein

5 g

Carbs

57 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

The cheesesteak was invented in 1930s South Philadelphia by hot-dog vendors Pat and Harry Olivieri, who griddled thin-sliced beef on a roll; cheese was added a decade later. It is street food built for speed and a soft hoagie roll, and the city-wide debate over provolone versus Cheez Whiz is part of its identity, not a flaw.

Listahan note

This version freezes the ribeye briefly so it can be shaved paper-thin, then caramelizes the onions separately and melts the provolone directly on the chopped meat in the pan before capping it with the roll to catch every drip.

Technique cues

Freezing the ribeye for about twenty minutes firms it enough to shave into the paper-thin slices that cook in seconds and stay tender.
Cooking the onions first and setting them aside lets them caramelize fully without steaming the high-heat sear the beef needs.
Melting the provolone on the meat in the pan, then inverting the roll over it and flipping, captures the cheese and juices that would otherwise run onto the griddle.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Freeze and shave the ribeye while the onions caramelize so the high-heat sear goes straight in.
Make-ahead: Caramelize the onions in advance and reheat them when the meat hits the pan.
Leftover move: Pile leftover meat, onions, and cheese over fries or into an omelet the next day.
Cleanup rhythm: Scrape the griddle while hot since the seared beef fond sticks fast once it cools.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

ribeye steak

Main protein

Purpose: Its marbling keeps the thin shavings juicy and rich even cooked hot and fast.

Handling: Freeze briefly, then shave paper-thin against the grain so it cooks in a flash.

Adaptation: Top sirloin shaves and cooks similarly but is leaner, so add a little more oil.

provolone cheese

Melting binder

Purpose: It melts into the chopped meat to bind the loose pile into a cohesive filling.

Handling: Lay slices on the hot meat and let them melt before capping with the roll.

Adaptation: Cheez Whiz is the other classic, giving a saltier, saucier, more nostalgic result.

yellow onion

Aromatic sweetness

Purpose: Slow-caramelized, it adds the sweet, savory backbone that balances the beef.

Handling: Slice thin and cook 8 to 10 minutes until deeply caramelized before setting aside.

Adaptation: Sweet Vidalia onions caramelize faster and turn even sweeter.

hoagie roll

Structure

Purpose: A soft, sturdy roll soaks up the juices without disintegrating and is essential to the form.

Handling: Split it and warm it face-down over the meat to soften and catch drips.

Adaptation: A soft Italian sub roll is the closest stand-in; a crusty baguette fights the soft filling.

Technique notes

Let the shaved beef sit untouched for two to three minutes to build a brown crust before you start chopping and tossing it.
Chop the meat with the spatula edge right in the pan so it stays in small, tender pieces that pack into the roll.
Use the roll-cap flip to lift the whole assembly so the melted cheese and juices stay inside the bread.

Ingredient swaps

Dairy-free direction: Skip the cheese and bind the meat with a spoonful of the onion jus, or use a melting plant-based provolone.
Gluten-free direction: Serve the meat, onions, and cheese as a bowl or in a gluten-free roll, which will be more fragile under the juices.
Lower-sodium direction: Season the beef with pepper and a light hand of salt and pick a lower-sodium provolone.

Serve alongside

French fries
Long hot peppers
Side of sauteed mushrooms
Macaroni salad
Birch beer
Cold cola
Crisp lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the cooked meat-and-onion mix for up to 3 days, kept separate from the roll.
Reheat in a hot skillet to recrisp the edges rather than microwaving, which steams the beef.
The cooked filling freezes for up to 2 months; thaw overnight and reheat hot in a pan.

Equipment

Wide skillet or flat griddle
Sharp knife for shaving
Sturdy metal spatula
Tongs

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