Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
These easy Philly cheesesteaks don’t mess around! They’re loaded, melty, and impossible to put down.
Updated Jul 15, 2025
5
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12
Prep 10 minutes mins
Cook 20 minutes mins
Servings 5 servings (1 sandwich each)
$15.54 recipe / $3.10 serving
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Philly cheesesteaks are one of my favorite comfort foods. I usually don’t purchase steak often because of the cost, but was recently surprised to find thinly sliced pre-packaged steak at my local grocery store for a very reasonable price. So, of course, I had to give it a try! I added sautéed bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms to bulk up the sandwiches, melted provolone cheese on top, and placed it all inside a big hoagie roll. These were so good and very filling. Five large Philly cheesesteak sandwiches for just a little over $3 a sandwich…I’ll take that all day long!
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“Delicious and sooo simple! My new favorite Budget Bytes recipe. I love that I can freeze all of the ingredients and eat this several times over a couple weeks :)”
JNNFRB
Growing up, whenever we ate at the food court in the mall, my #1 favorite place to eat was the Philly cheesesteak restaurant. I would skip over the pizza and burgers and go straight for those cheesy, tender steak sandwiches. So today I’m excited to recreate and put my own spin on an American classic for a party of 5 on a budget!!😉
Budget-Friendy Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
If you didn’t know, Philly Cheesesteaks are sandwiches made with thinly sliced steak and cheese and served on a long hoagie roll. Although its origins are sometimes debated, the Philly Cheesesteak is mostly known for being created in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the early 1900’s. Common variations throughout the years have included sautéed onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Regardless of how you like to eat your cheesesteak, this popular recipe has been well-loved by many! And if you’re looking for a low-carb option, try our Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers!
Budget-Saving Tips!
A lot of recipes use ribeye or sirloin, but both of those can be quite pricey. It also takes a little extra time to thinly slice all of that meat. But if you didn’t already know, you can actually find pre-packed thinly sliced steak in the meat section of the grocery store.
During testing, I tried two different types – one that’s listed as “Beef shaved steak” and another that’s listed as “Ribeye shaved steak.” The ribeye shaved steak was much better quality and tasted a lot better than just the “beef shaved steak. The ribeye shaved steak is a little more expensive than just the beef shaved steak, but feel free to use either one based on your budget.
These shaved steak packages primarily come in 12-14oz. sizes, which is only enough to make roughly 3-4 large sandwiches. This is why I add mushrooms, peppers, and onions to this recipe to help bulk up the servings.
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Philly Cheesesteak Recipe
5 from 12 votes
This easy Philly Cheesesteak recipe is made with tender, thinly sliced beef, sautéed peppers, onions and mushrooms and gooey, melted cheese on a toasted hoagie roll!
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Author: Marsha McDougal
Servings servings (1 sandwich each)
Prep 10 minutes mins
Cook 20 minutes mins
Total 30 minutes mins
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Ingredients
▢ 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms (sliced, $2.37)
▢ 1 green bell pepper ($0.89)
▢ 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
▢ 4 Tbsp butter (divided, $0.40)
▢ 2 Tbsp cooking oil (divided, $0.08)
▢ 12-14 oz. shaved beef steak ($6.94*)
▢ ¾ tsp salt ($0.03)
▢ ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
▢ ½ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)
▢ 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.10)
▢ 5 hoagie rolls ($2.96**)
▢ 6 slices provolone ($0.98***)
Instructions
Start by prepping the vegetables. Slice the green bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Once the skillet is hot add in the sliced mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms start to soften.
Next add in the sliced onions and bell pepper to the skillet. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes or until the veggies have softened. Remove all the vegetables from the skillet to a separate plate and set aside.
In the same skillet add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Add the shaved beef steak to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through.
Now add the sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms back to the skillet with the steak, then add in the salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for 1-2 minute to allow the vegetables to heat back up.
Spread the provolone cheese slices on top of the beef and vegetables in the skillet. Turn the heat off. Allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
While the steak is cooking or while the cheese is melting, go ahead and toast the hoagie rolls. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 5 rolls on a baking sheet, spread the remaining 2 Tbsp of softened butter inside the hoagie rolls, and toast in the oven for a few minutes until golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them. Once toasted, remove the sheet pan from the oven and set the rolls to the side.
Fill each hoagie roll evenly with the steak and cheese mixture. Serve these sandwiches with your favorite spreads and toppings like mayo, shredded lettuce, tomato, or sliced jalapeños. Enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Video
Equipment
Large 12” skillet
Baking Sheet
Notes
*To keep things budget-friendly and to save time, I use thinly pre-shaved beef steak. You can usually find it in the ground meat section of your grocery store. I did notice and test a couple of different types of shaved beef; please see my budget-saving tips above.
**Hoagie rolls are traditional and a perfect vessel for holding all of that cheesesteak goodness. You can find them packaged in the bread aisle, but if you want to splurge a little, try getting the fresh hoagies in the bakery section.
***Provolone cheese is my favorite with cheesesteaks, but you can substitute with white American, Swiss, or even Cheez Whiz if you’re really going for that classic cheesesteak taste!
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Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 535kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 29gFat: 30gSodium: 920mgFiber: 2g
Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.
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Video
How to Make Philly Cheesesteaks Step-by-Step Photos
Start by prepping the vegetables: Slice 1 green bell pepper, 1 onion, and 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms.
Sauté the mushrooms: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of butter and 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Once the skillet is hot, add in the sliced mushrooms. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms start to soften.
Add the sliced onions and bell pepper: Stir and cook for another 3 minutes or until the peppers and onions have softened. Remove all the vegetables from the skillet to a separate plate and set aside for now.
Brown the beef: In the same skillet, add another 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp cooking oil. Add 12-14oz. of shaved beef steak to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through.
Combine the filling ingredients: Now add the sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms back to the skillet with the cooked steak along with 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes to let the vegetables heat back up.
Spread 6 slices of provolone cheese on top of the steak in the skillet. Turn the heat off. Allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
Toast the rolls: While the steak is cooking or while the cheese is melting, go ahead and toast the hoagie rolls. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 5 rolls on a baking sheet, spread the remaining 2 Tbsp of softened butter inside the hoagie rolls, and toast in the oven for a few minutes until golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them. Once toasted, remove the sheet pan from the oven and set aside.
Make the sandwiches: Now all that’s left to do is fill each hoagie roll evenly with the steak and cheese mixture. You can also spread some mayo on the inside of each roll if you prefer.
Serve these sandwiches with your favorite spreads and toppings like mayo, shredded lettuce, tomato, or sliced jalapeños. And of course, you have to have some crispy fries or chips on the side. Yum!! Tell me, what are your favorite Philly cheesesteak toppings?
Recipe Tips and Variations
- This recipe makes 5 huge sandwiches, but you can cut each of these in half to make 10 servings if you’re trying to serve them at a tailgate party or potluck!
- Not a mushroom fan? No worries, I really only added them to bulk up the filling and stretch the servings to five. But you can totally leave them off and just include the sautéed peppers and onions. You may only be able to make four large sandwiches without the mushrooms.
- You can add more cheese to your sandwiches if you really want to make them extra cheesy. I used enough cheese to cover most of the cheesesteak in the skillet, but feel free to add 1-3 more slices over the top of the skillet or on each individual sandwich. You can also add some Cheez Whiz if you’ve got it…a popular choice in many authentic Philly cheesesteak recipes!
- Don’t have any steak? You can absolutely swap the steak for ground beef if you like. It’s not technically traditional, but it’s certainly cheaper and still delicious!
Serving Suggestions
I paired these Philly cheesesteaks with some quick air fryer French fries, but you can also serve them with our popular oven baked steak fries or make a quick batch of air fryer sweet potato fries.
As for toppings, you can certainly keep it simple and leave it as is with just the peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Or try adding some shredded lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapeños, or even slow-cooked caramelized onions, which would taste really good!!
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