Philly Cheesesteaks

Yes, I am a vegetarian, but I can still make meat for my sweet husband every now and then.  In fact, this has been a goal of mine since we got married.  Mark is a great eater; he is almost always willing to try whatever strange things I have tried (for example, pulled cauliflower, and anything with quinoa; not for example anything with fake meat like my no chicken vegan pad thai).  He is a pretty easy-going guy, after all.  But when we first moved in together and he had eaten many nights of farro and falafel salad, one night he mentioned that he would appreciate it if he could have meat maybe one night a week.  So, it's kind of my goal as his new little wifey.  Therefore, don't be surprised when you see lots of meat recipes coming up.  No, I haven't tried any of them, but they have been husband-tested and approved.  And, whenever I do make meat, I invite my family over as well, since Mark isn't big on leftovers and I won't eat them anyway.  Thus, we have these Philly cheesesteaks, which were completely devoured and adored by Mark, Kenzie and Nick.

I was intrigued by this recipe; it is definitely not a "traditional" Philly cheesesteak, and in fact the Pioneer Woman basically got hate mail for posting this recipe (people from Philadelphia are kind of insane about their sandwiches, apparently).  But I thought it was a nice shortcut: you buy shaved roast beef from the deli as your meat!  Heat it up in a pan with some onions and peppers, and you're halfway there.  Then there's the cheese sauce, where you have another shortcut: Velveeta!  Simply melt it with milk and black and cayenne pepper, and viola: what Kenzie called the best cheese sauce she ever had.  Butter some rolls, toast them up, and you're done!  For a sandwich that was such a hit, this is a fast and pretty great recipe.  Meat eaters, rejoice!  Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes, and it will be gone in 10 :)

Recipe:

Philly cheesesteaks
from the Pioneer Woman
serves 6

Ingredients:
8 ounces White Velveeta (I used orange, it was fine!)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter
6 whole deli rolls
1 1/2 pounds thinly shaved good quality deli roast beef
1 whole yellow onion, peeled and sliced thick
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced thick
1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced thick
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thick
spicy mustard, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (optional toppings; we found they weren't needed!)

Instructions:

1) First make the cheese sauce by combining the Velveeta, black pepper, cayenne, and milk in a small pan.  Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until it's melted and hot.  Keep warm.

2) Melt 2 tablespoons butter on a griddle over medium heat, then place the deli roll halves on the griddle until golden brown.  Set aside.

3) Heat 2 more tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Throw in the roast beef and move it around with a spatula, breaking it up a bit as you go.  Cook/warm for about a minute or so, then remove it to a plate and set aside.

4) Add the remaining tablespoons butter to the same skillet and throw in the onions and peppers.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the veggies until dark golden and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

5) To build the sandwiches, place a pile of beef on the bottom half of each roll.  Spoon cheese sauce over the beef.  Top with peppers and onions, then top with more cheese sauce.  Place the top half of the roll on top and serve immediately.