Easy Cheesesteak

In October of 2008, I had my first Philly Cheesesteak at a dive called Jim's Place near the Philadelphia International Airport. I've been hooked ever since. I haven't been back to Philly in the last couple of years, but I have had my share of Cheesesteaks, including one at Walt Disney World. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to duplicate this magnificent sandwich at home. A good friend of mine, who is from Philly originally, made me a really good cheesesteak at his home, but he is far more talented in the kitchen than I am. I tried buying ribeye steak (the cut of meat in a traditional cheesesteak) and slicing it up, but I couldn't get it thin enough. I even tried Steak 'ums, but they just ended up dry and tough. I just couldn't duplicate the flavor...until recently.

A few weeks ago, our Schwan's delivery guy had a special on the Schwan's Philly Beef, so my wife bought some, knowing that I love Cheesesteak. Yes, we buy a few things from Schwan's...it's generally very good stuff and nice to have on hand for pulling together a quick meal.

The Schwan's Philly Beef is the closest I've been able to come to a real cheesesteak. It actually looks like a small ribeye steak. I cook it on a flattop, and it easily breaks apart into thin strips of steak. I add a little salt, pepper and garlic power, and then mix in some cooked yellow onions. I then toast a hoagie roll and melt some Cheez Whiz and combine into a Pat's King of Steak Style Cheesesteak, which I've been told is the original Cheesesteak. Pat's will be a destination for me next time I'm in Philadelphia. This ends up making a delicious sandwich that goes great with potato chips and pickles. If you aren't a fan of Cheez Whiz, you can do the same thing with Provolone or any type of cheese really.

I plan to get the Philly Beef from Schwan's more often and experiment with different sandwich combinations. For my money, it's the closest I can come to the thinly sliced ribeye required for a Philly Cheesesteak without actually buying a slicer and spending $10-15 per lb. for ribeye. Winner Winner Cheesesteak Dinner (yes, I still watch too much Food Network).