Cheesesteak Sliders for Game Day
Because I’m a Philly girl
Truth be told, I’m not a big sports fan. But when your team is in the Super Bowl, you have to root for them, right? I may have lived in New York for most of my life, but when Philly teams (the Eagles, this time) make it to the playoffs, my team spirit comes out—especially because, for so many years, these teams were embarrassing underdogs. Lately, though, they’re doing pretty well! The “Iggles,” as they’re known in my hometown, have only been to the Super Bowl FOUR times in their entire history, winning once in 2017.
If you happen to be hosting a game-day party, I have a really yummy recipe for you. I remember my mom serving quiche and fondue at a Super Bowl party in the ’70s, back when the game was played during the day (which I personally think makes for a better party). That menu may have been a little highfalutin for a football game, as much as we enjoyed it. Since cheesesteaks are a true Philly original, I thought a party-sized version would be just the thing—hearty enough to be the “main course” along with all the other snack-y things.
There are a lot of opinions about cheesesteaks (which are only called “Philly” cheesesteaks outside of the City of Brotherly Love) starting with where you get them and eat them. The most famous competitors are Pat’s and Geno’s, right across the street from each other in South Philly. Apparently, the founders of Pat’s are the ones who first came up with the idea when they got sick of hot dogs back in the 1930s. Personally, I most often frequented Jim’s Steaks on South Street, which was the cool place to hang out back then. The art deco restaurant burned down a few years ago, but is now back open for business. I never did a taste test, so I can’t really say which was best, but Jim’s always did the job for me!
When ordering a cheesesteak, you’ve got some options. None of them are wrong, they're just different. Everyone should be entitled to eat their cheesesteak how they like it, right? I always went for provolone, although I have certainly tried Cheez Whiz. Apparently Cooper Sharp is the move now, which is a specific type of American cheese. I haven't tried it. “Wit” or “witout” refers to the onions that fry in a corner of the big griddle. Seems to me that they’re a must. You can add mushrooms or cooked sweet peppers if you want, or go with pickled cherry peppers for a little spice. The one thing that everyone agrees on in Philly is that a cheesesteak must be on an Amoroso’s roll, which is a soft, barely browned roll that apparently supplies the whole city and is nearly impossible to find anywhere else.
Which leads me to my bread choice for this at-home version. I first bought a package of King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls for this project, but it was bothering me that the sweetness might not “go.” So, on a subsequent trip to the Stop & Shop, I poked around the bakery section for an alternative. I found a similar arrangement of rolls in a “golden” variety (like Parker House), and “snowflake” rolls that were dusted with flour on top and white inside. The “snowflake” rolls won, as they seemed closest to the somewhat bland traditional Amoroso’s roll. These were a tad larger than the King’s Hawaiian, which I’m sure would work too. I’m splitting hairs here!
The next challenge? How to duplicate the meat. I’m not exactly sure what cut they use in the cheesesteaks joints, but I do know that they slice frozen meat paper thin on a deli slicer. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The meat should never be chewy. At first, I tried freezing a ribeye steak and slicing it as thinly as possible by hand—but alas, it was not thin enough, and I rejected this method. Too fancy! And besides, by the time I had trimmed the excess fat from a 12-ounce steak, I didn't have enough for that football-field size expanse of bread I was trying to cover.
I went back to the store to explore other options. (If you want to help finance all these trips to the store, consider becoming a paid subscriber!) I went straight to the frozen meat case, which I was not heretofore familiar with (haha). I found out that at the Stop & Shop at least, it’s way over on the other side of the store from the rest of the frozen food, right next to the meat case. There I found the familiar Steak-Umms I remember from my childhood, and something much better: “shaved ribeye.” This was actual meat (Steak-Umms are 100% beef, but the meat has been, shall we say, re-formed?), which tasted pretty good and was spot-on in terms of texture. If you have an H Mart or other Asian grocery nearby, the thinly shaved beef that’s sold for shabu-shabu is another great option. You might find this fresh or frozen, and either will do. I wanted to try the Steak-Umms, but, umm, they weren’t very good, so I don’t recommend them.
I also opted to add mushrooms, which was my usual preference when ordering a cheesesteak in the old days, and a good move here. They added flavor and heft, and if you're serving vegetarians, just skip the meat and double the mushrooms. I think it would be very tasty!
Whichever route you choose, your watch party crew will surely appreciate this jumbo take on a classic crowd-pleaser—no matter which team they’re rooting for. But with that said, I’ll leave you with this: GO BIRDS!
What are your go-to game day snacks? I’d love to know in the comments.
More game day recipes!
I’ve rounded up some more party food ideas from the Susanality archives, including a main course alternative, plus snacks to get you through all four quarters.
Turkey Chili
An easily scalable recipe that works great as a game day main course (instead of or in addition to the cheesesteak sliders!)
Grandma Pie with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Making a big pan pizza like this one is a great party move because you can do all the assembly ahead of time. Just pop it in the oven just before kickoff and 30 minutes later, you’ll have plenty of pizza for a crowd.
Smoky Cheddar Crackers
The dough for these slice-and-bake crackers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days (or in the freezer for longer), which means you can prep them in advance and have one less thing to worry about come game day.
Cheesesteak Sliders
Makes 12 sliders
12 ounces thinly sliced steak, like ribeye or top sirloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
1 12- to 14-ounce package of dinner rolls (12)
8 ounces sliced provolone (get the kind you like: mild or more aged)
Jarred sliced cherry peppers (drained), as desired
Heat oven to 375℉. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook the steak until browned and a little bit crispy on the edges, using tongs or a spatula to move it around. Don’t worry if it falls apart — it’s supposed to! Transfer to a dinner plate.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the same pan (don’t wash it out) and add the onions. Season lightly with salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until onions are softened and browning on the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ¼ cup water and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until very soft and evenly golden, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
Heat the same pan over high heat and add another 2 teaspoons of oil and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and turning golden. Reduce heat if the mushrooms are scorching.
Using a long bread knife, slice the entire sheet of rolls horizontally, without separating the individual rolls. Set the bottom half on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Tear half the provolone slices and arrange on the bread. Spread the steak evenly over the cheese. Spread the mushrooms out over that, then the onions. Top with the other half of the cheese. Finally, top with a generous amount of cherry peppers. Carefully replace the top half of the sheet of rolls and cover the pan tightly with foil. If making ahead, refrigerate the pan of assembled sliders.
Bake for 25 minutes (35 to 40 if you refrigerated the assembled sliders). Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately while they’re hot and gooey, but leftovers reheat well too!
Steak Ums, lol
I lived in PA for a spell and can’t recall having a cheesesteak there, but here in Texas there’s a li’l ol’ cheesesteak shop called ‘Youz Guyz South Philly Cheesesteaks’ (the owners boast authenticity since they’re from there). So I may have missed out while in PA but at least I got to experience an authentic cheesesteak, even if it was in Texas lol. It’s one of my fave restaurants with their freshly made rolls, Italian ice, and fries which a few different topping options. It’s such a treat!
My brother and mom make cheesesteaks with a totally Texas spin——Bolillos topped with thinly sliced steak and topped with queso made with Velveeta & Rotel. My Pennsylvania cousins fell in love with queso so they stock up on Rotel when they come to visit so they can have chips & queso for their football parties——they’re BIIIIIIG Steelers fans.
Which brings me to the ONE thing I hope is on the menu at any party: Queso! And it goes well with lots of other things that are often served at parties like chips, pretzels, veggies, taquitos, or even breads to dip into it like fondue.