Intolerances: Fructose, Gluten, Soy
A quick shortcut sandwich, full of steak flavor and melty cheese.

Let me first start out by saying that I know what a typical Philly Cheesesteak includes: the spices, the peppers and onions, the cheese. Although I’ve had to make a few alterations to fit my own dietary issues, I have still found a way to replicate so many of those flavors. I have also found a way to keep all of those original flavors for my family. The best way to do this and the quickest way to do this, Gary’s Quick Steak. Now, you certainly can make everything from scratch, but these pre-packaged steaks really are the answer when it comes to these cheesesteaks and I am going to walk you through the pre-packaged route. They are delicious and quick, a perfect weekday meal.

What to serve it with:

• Baked French Fries
• Potato Chips
• Coleslaw
• Orzo Pasta Salad

What you need: 

• Sauté Pan and Lid
• Olive Oil
• Gary’s Quick Steak (or any quick prepare sirloin)
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Button or Baby Bella Mushrooms
• Provolone
• Canyon Bakehouse Sub Rolls
• Optional if tolerated: Red Bell Peppers, Yellow Onion, Hoagie Roll

The Vegetables

For me, the best and really only vegetable for this is sandwich is the mushroom. It is something that is easily tolerated for people with fructose intolerance, not to mention that people often add them to their cheesesteaks anyways. I may add more than the normal person, but heck, that’s because I love them. I recommend using a button or a baby bella. You can buy these pre-sliced or slice them on your own, it really is up to you on what they have at the store, the amount of time you have to prep and your preference in thickness of the mushroom. Just make sure that if you are going to slice mushrooms on your own, that you wait to wash your mushrooms until right before you slice and cook. I personally like to use a damp paper towel and wipe down the mushrooms, rather than rinsing them under water (you don’t want to water log the mushrooms).

For those of you that plan on adding peppers and onions, please make sure that you use yellow onions and red bell peppers. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t use other colored peppers, just don’t skip on the red. They add great color and fantastic flavor for this sandwich. You will want thin strips of peppers and onions.

When it comes to chopping the peppers, I recommend cutting off the “cheeks” of the pepper. Hold the pepper upright by the stem and cut down toward the bottom. You can do this on all 4 sides to get the “cheeks”. Give these a rinse and slice into 1/4″ strips. Next, the onion. Cut the onion in half, through the ends that have the “stem”. Peel the outside layer off of one half and set the other aside. Place the onion flat on the cutting board. Keep the stem on the onion and slice the onion into 1/4″ slices from one end all the way to the other. Discard the stem and separate the onion slices.

In a sauté pan add some olive oil to coat the pan. Next, add the mushrooms (again, if you are doing this with the peppers and onions, you should add these at the same time). Over medium heat, let the the vegetables cook down, stirring off and on. You want these to get soft and slightly browned, make sure you add a sprinkle of kosher salt and crack black pepper before everything is done cooking. Once these are ready, remove them from the heat and set aside in a bowl/plate.

The Meat

If you are using Gary’s Quick Steak, this process is so easy, you don’t even have to thaw the steak. Follow the instructions on the box, placing the steak in the same pan that you used for the vegetables. Now, the box comes with seasoning, but if you are fructose intolerant like me, stay far away from this. You will want to add the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to the steak with the same timing as the it says to do with the seasoning packet. Once the meat is just about done, add the vegetables back into the pan.

Lastly, it is time to add the provolone. It is up to you how much cheese you want to add, but I recommend 1-2 pieces, depending on the size of the cheese slices. Place the cheese on top of the meat and vegetables. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan until the cheese begins to melt.

The Assembly

For this sandwich, you will want the bread slightly soft. There are a couple of ways to do this. The first, simply slice it in half (don’t cut the bun completely through) and place it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Another option, place the split roll on top of the meat and cheese under the lid. The steam will begin to soften the roll.

When everything is melty and the roll is soft, scoop up the meat, vegetables and cheese and place inside your roll. Serve with your favorite side dish and enjoy!