I generally try to eat healthy but sometimes you need to eat a meal that brings back good memories. One of those meals is a cheesesteak sandwich. A cheesesteak (also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, cheesesteak sandwich, cheese steak, or steak and cheese) is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of beefsteak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. The Philly cheesesteak sandwich is named after Philadelphia, the city where it originated in the 1930s. Popular history says the sandwich was created by Pat Olivieri, a hot dog vendor in South Philadelphia who decided to grill some beef and put it on an Italian roll. One story holds that a Pat’s employee, Tony Lorenzo, who tired of the same old sandwich, added cheese about 20 years after Pat’s opened. So that would put the birth of the cheesesteak sometime in the 50s. There are multiple variations of cheesesteak sandwiches, a chicken cheesesteak or chicken Philly is made with chicken instead of beef. A buffalo chicken cheesesteak is a chicken cheesesteak with buffalo sauce, and may contain blue cheese. A mushroom cheesesteak is a cheesesteak with mushrooms. An Italian pepper cheesesteak is a cheesesteak with green bell peppers, hot cherry peppers, long hot peppers, or sweet peppers. A pizza steak is a cheesesteak topped with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and may be toasted in a broiler. A cheesesteak hoagie contains lettuce and tomato in addition to the ingredients found in the traditional steak sandwich, and may contain other elements often served in a hoagie. A vegan cheesesteak is a sandwich that replaces steak and cheese with vegan ingredients, such as seitan or mushrooms for the steak, and soy-based cheese. A steak Milano is a cheesesteak containing grilled or fried tomatoes and oregano. The Heater is served at Phillies baseball games, so named for being a spicy variation as it is topped with jalapeños, Buffalo sauce, and jalapeño cheddar.
My dad was not a cook but he made the best Saturday breakfast. His favorite meal was breakfast and he perfected this one. Mom did not like it so if he wanted it, he had to cook it himself. It was Steak-umms® and eggs. This thinly sliced frozen beef was created by food inventor Gene Gagliardi in 1968 as an easily chewable alternative to steak. He also made cheesesteak sandwiches with it but using it for breakfast was the primary use in our house. I made this cheesesteak meatloaf once for Dad and he liked the flavor because he did not like the ketchup topping that most meatloaves have.
Dad’s breakfast steakyum
2 Steak-umm® Sliced Steaks (Steak-umms now come in pork, chicken and beef so choose your favorite)
4 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cut frozen steaks into 1-inch strips and cook as directed on package; set aside. Cook scrambled eggs and fold in cooked steak. Top with shredded cheese, and cover until cheese is melted. 2 servings
Cheesesteak meatloaf
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, small, diced
2 lb ground beef,
1 green bell pepper, small, diced
2 tbsp ketchup
8 oz brown mushrooms, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs, (or keto bread crumbs)
8 oz provolone cheese, slices
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray a large loaf pan with cooking spray. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper. Cook for at least 1 to 2 minutes or until the onions caramelize and the mushrooms turn brown before stirring. Let it cook for another 1 to 2 minutes before stirring again. Set it aside and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, and the sauteed vegetables. Add half the mixture to the loaf pan. Then, add half of the cheese to the middle of the pan in a 2-inch wide section. Cover with the rest of the meat and form into a rounded top loaf shape. Cook for 40 minutes, then pull the loaf out of the oven. Cover with remaining cheese, and put back in. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, then let rest for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Courtesy photos
