The Philly Cheesesteak (Whiz Wit)

A weeknight-friendly cheesesteak.

2 servings
22 minutes
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

Steak & sandwich components

  • Hoagie rolls
    2
  • Ribeye, or NY Strip
    450 g1 lb
  • Sweet onion, diced
    1/4
  • Cooking oil
    a spoonful
  • Salt
    to taste

Cheese whiz

  • Evaporated milk
    50 g1 part
  • Cheddar, medium, grated
    50 g1 part
  • American Cheese
    4 slices1 part

Method

Step 1: Prep the steak

Trim any exterior fat from the steak and slice it into thin pieces (get rid of any gristle). Place the fat pieces along with a spoonful of oil on a cast iron griddle or pan. Set to low heat to render the beef fat.

Meanwhile, cut the steak in half and then into very thin shavings across the grain (you’ll need a sharp knife for this). Cut the resulting beef shavings in half so they are smaller, bite-size pieces.

  • Note: If you’re having trouble making thin slices, it can help to firm up the steak in the freezer for up to an hour.

Step 2: Saute the onions

Remove any unrendered fat pieces from the oil. Toss in the diced onions along with a small pinch of salt.

Let those gently over low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.

Step 3: Make the cheese whiz

Meanwhile, set a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add the evaporated milk, American cheese slices, and cheddar cheese. Stir constantly until well melted and completely smooth.

Transfer the cheese whiz to a bowl. Wash the pan immediately — any remaining whiz that dries up will be difficult to clean later.

Step 4: Saute the steak

When the onions are mostly translucent and softened, slide them to the side of the pan. Add the steak along with another pinch of salt and let that slowly.

When the steak has mostly cooked through but has some pink left, toss the cooked onions back into the mix, and finish cooking the steak through. Turn off the heat.

Step 5: Assemble & wrap the hoagies

On the griddle, loosely separate the steak into two sandwich portions. Add about half the cheese sauce over top of the steak portions so it melts into each mixture (save the rest of the whiz for adding directly to the sandwich).

Transfer the cheesy steak mixture to sliced hoagie rolls. Drizzle in the remaining cheese sauce over top of each sandwich.

To finish, wrap each hoagie tightly in parchment paper to let the meat juices and cheese soak into the bread and everything together.

Enjoy as is or top with extra condiments as desired.

“I wondered: could I make a tasty Philly cheesesteak quickly, using basic ingredients with an easy cleanup? The answer was this recipe, which comes together in just 22 minutes, including the homemade cheese whiz.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

entire recipe
Calories2719
174g
156g
156g

Show macros split into…

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FAQ

What’s up with the evaporated milk? Can I use regular milk in the whiz?

Evaporated milk has a much higher concentration of milk proteins than regular milk, which act as powerful that hold the cheese sauce together in a stable, mixture. The American cheese slices also contain emulsifiers (sodium citrate). If you don’t have evaporated milk, you could make the whiz with regular milk but you’ll need a few extra slices of American cheese to stabilize the emulsion.