Philly Cheesesteak with Optional Primal Cheddar Cheese Sauce

By Debra Mitchell March 21, 2022 8 mins read 461 Views

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Philly cheesesteak served on lettuce with cheese sauce.

Savory, smokey, and dripping with creamy cheese, the Philly cheesesteak is an iconic loaded sandwich made traditionally with beefsteak, a hoagie roll, and oodles of melted cheese. We skipped the roll and redid the cheese sauce recipe for a Primal take on this Pennsylvania local favorite! Not totally authentic, granted, but delicious nonetheless.

You really can’t go wrong with thinly sliced steak topped with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and peppers. Sear the thinly sliced steak for only a minute, sauté the mushrooms and peppers until tender, and cook the onions until brown and sweet.

Pile it all high on plate—Philly cheesesteak isn’t about dainty serving sizes—and enjoy!

What Cheese Is on Philly Cheesesteak?

Different chefs might put their own spin on it, but cheesesteaks usually feature American, provolone, or even Cheez Whiz. We made our sauce here from sharp cheddar cheese, Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard, and heavy cream. You can forget about making cheese sauce and just melt a slice of really good cheddar or aged provolone on top, or skip the cheese sauce if you don’t tolerate dairy.

How to Make a Philly Cheesesteak

Serves: 8

Time in the Kitchen: 1 hour

Ingredients

Meat:

3 Tbsp Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
2 lbs. (900g) boneless ribeye steaks (see Notes)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 bell peppers (any color), sliced
Salt and pepper
Butter lettuce leaves, optional

Primal Cheese Sauce:

½ cup heavy cream or coconut milk
5 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard (or Spicy Mustard)
Pinch of turmeric powder

Philly cheesesteak ingredients

Instructions

Before beginning to cook, place the steaks in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will help them firm up so they can be sliced.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and peppers. Sauté for around 10 minutes or until they are very soft and the onions are beginning to caramelize. Remove the veggies from the pan.

Caramelized onions and red and yellow bell peppers in pan, Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil

Take the steaks out of the freezer and thinly slice them against the grain. Toss the slices in salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the steak to the pan and brown for about 30 to 45 seconds before giving them a stir and browning again on the other side. You want them to be cooked very quickly so they don’t overcook and get tough. It’s okay if the steak is still pink in the middle! Remove the steak slices from the pan and set aside.

Sauteed steak strips in a pan

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms are soft, then set the mushrooms aside. There will probably be a little liquid in the pan after the mushrooms have cooked. Heat the pan over medium heat and reduce any liquid in the pan, then toss the steak slices back in the pan to warm them, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the steak and veggies on a plate or on butter lettuce leaves.

Philly cheesesteak meat and vegetables served on butter lettuce leaves, no cheese sauce

Cheese Sauce Recipe

Cheese sauce in a pan

Once the sauce is bubbly and has thickened, turn off the heat and quickly add in the shredded cheese a bit at a time as you continue stirring. Continue stirring until the cheese has fully melted. Drizzle the sauce over your steak and enjoy!

Philly cheesesteak served on lettuce with cheese sauce.

Notes:

If you want more cheese sauce, double the sauce recipe. I find a little of it goes a long way, but who doesn’t love more cheese?
If you don’t have ribeye steaks, you can use something like top round or sirloin. Keep in mind that you may need to add more fat to the pan while cooking leaner cuts of meat to keep the meat moist.

Nutrition Info (1/8 of meat and cheese sauce):

Calories: 532
Fat: 45 g
Saturated Fat: 21 g
Carbs: 6 g
Net Carbs: 5 g
Protein: 24 g

Philly Cheesesteak (with Optional Primal Cheddar Cheese Sauce)

Author: Mark's Daily Apple
Total Time: About 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

Savory, smokey, and dripping with creamy cheese, the Philly cheesesteak is an iconic loaded sandwich made traditionally with beefsteak, a hoagie roll, and oodles of melted cheese. We skipped the roll and redid the cheese sauce recipe for a Primal take on this Pennsylvania local favorite!