These are inspired by Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches, but less complicated, super easy & extremely delicious!
Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Pound out the flank steak & slice it against the grain into thin strips. Sprinkle generously with seasoning. For this I used McCormick’s Garlic, Onion, Pepper & Sea Salt mix. Cook until no longer pink.
Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet (if you have it) on a different burner, heat bacon grease (if you have it) or olive oil on medium & add the sliced onion & mushrooms. Stir frequently to get nice caramelization & even browning.
Once the onions & mushrooms are nicely browned, add the sweet pepper slices & cook for another 2-3 minutes. They will break down a lot faster so its better to add them to the skillet toward the end.
Once the steak is cooked through, remove from heat & slice the slices into bite sized pieces. Add them to the cast iron skillet with the uber yummy vegetables. Let it sit all together while you prepare the breads.
I found these Bolillo rolls at my local Safeway. They were so soft & perfect for this open faced sandwich that I pictured in my head. If you can’t find something similar, hoagie or french rolls will work just as well. Slice the rolls in half lengthwise & make a crater by digging out the soft bread from the center. Now you have something you can munch on while you finish up dinner. You’re welcome. Spread a little cream cheese on each slice & then sprinkle with seasoning. I used the same McCormick’s mix that I used on the steak.
Spoon the steak & veggie combo down the center of each sandwich. OMG doesn’t that look amazing?? It’s not done yet. Now comes the cheese.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese mixture. For this I used equal amounts of medium cheddar, Monterey jack & mozzarella. Set it under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted & tops are a little browned. Be sure to watch the broil constantly because one too many seconds & your dinner will be toast. Burnt toast. Get it?
Enjoy! My kids each ate two. If you wanted leftovers for lunch tomorrow, you’re probably taking tuna salad. 🙂
Weeknight Cheese Steak Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs flank steak, sliced thin & against the grain
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
- 6 cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 8 sweet mini peppers, deseeded & sliced
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
- 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack
- 3/4 cup mozzarella
- 1.5 tbsp steak seasoning, divided
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature for easy spreading
- 5 Bolillo rolls can use hoagie or french rolls
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the flank steak & one tablespoon of seasoning & cook (stirring occasionally) until no longer pink. Remove from heat.
- In a cast iron skillet on a different burner, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions & mushrooms. Cook until caramelized & nicely browned all over, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the mini peppers to the onion mixture & stir & cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- While the veggies are finishing up, slice the steak into little bite sized pieces. Add the steak bites & any remaining oil/seasoning from the skillet they cooked in to the cast iron skillet with the veggies. Stir everything together & let rest while you prepare the bread.
- Slice the rolls in half length-wise. Use your fingers to tear out the centers of the bread slices to make a canal in each half. (Reserve the removed bread for a different use.) Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet that’s been lined with foil for easy clean up.
- Spread each slice of bread with a little bit of cream cheese. Sprinkle the top of each bread half with the remaining steak seasoning.
- Fill each bread half with the steak / veggie combo.
- Mix the shredded cheeses together & use it to top each sandwich with about 3 tablespoons or so (or more, to your desired liking).
- Broil about 4 inches from heat for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted & tops are just beginning to brown. Voila!
