Gametime: Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

Get excited- it's time to satisfy your craving for this classic American sandwich!

I recently completed a project at school in which three other classmates and I had to develop a healthier version of the original Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Now, I know everyone has their own preferences and beliefs about this meal (a "secret" cheese sauce or a certain combination of sauteed onions and mushrooms...), so we chose to use the most basic recipe we could find as our "original" recipe. The recipe is below: 

Original Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak
Courtesy:  http://philadelphia.about.com/od/regionalfoods/r/pats_steak_recipe.htm
Ingredients:

• 32 oz. Thin-sliced Rib Eye or Eye Roll Steak
• 6 tablespoons Soybean oil
• Cheese (Cheez Whiz® recommend), but American or Provolone works fine
• 4 Hoagie Rolls
• 1 cup White Onion

Preparation:

1. Slice and chop the onion.
2. Slice the hoagie buns like hot dog buns so that there is a “hinge” on the bun.

Cooking/Assembly

1. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a non-stick or iron skillet and sear the meat for about 5 minutes to medium-rare, remove the meat, let it cool, and slice thinly.
2. Heat an iron skillet or a non-stick pan over medium heat.
3. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to the pan and sauté the onions to desired doneness.
4. Remove the onions, then add the remaining oil and sauté the slices of meat quickly on both sides.
5. While the meat is cooking, melt the Cheez Whiz® in a double boiler or in the microwave.
6. Once the meat is done, place 8 oz. of the meat into the rolls.
7. Add onions, and pour the Cheez Whiz® over top. 

 Now, our goal was to reach several nutrition goals with this recipe, including reducing the total and saturated fat, reducing salt, and increasing the amount of vegetables and whole grains. So, we reworked the recipe a bit and tried out some new flavors. The portion sizes were also tweaked a bit. We decided to change the cut of meat and to replace the Cheez Whiz (sorry cheese spray lovers) with a combination of low fat provolone and fat free mozzarella. The mozzarella cheese makes the mixture super gooey and delicious, just the way a Philly Cheese Steak should be! Also, we added mushrooms, onion, and green and red bell peppers...mmmmmm! The revised recipe is below:

Modified Recipe
Recipe: Alternative Healthy Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 Whole Wheat Hoagies
• 12 oz Rib Eye Steak
• 1 cup chopped White Onion
• 1 cup chopped Sweet Red Bell Peppers
• 1 cup chopped Sweet Green Bell Peppers
• 1 cup chopped Fresh Brown Mushrooms
• ½ cup Reduced fat Provolone Cheese
• ½ cup Fat free Mozzarella Cheese
• Cooking Spray

Preparation:

1. Chop the onion, mushrooms, and peppers. 
2. Slice the hoagie buns like hot dog buns so that there is a “hinge” on the bun.
3. Spray a warm non-stick or iron skillet with cooking spray and sear the meat for about 5 minutes to medium-rare, let it cool, and slice thinly.

Cooking/ Assembly:

1. Add some cooking spray to a large frying pan and begin to sautee the onions on medium heat. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and the bell peppers. 
2. When the vegetables are soft and the onions are caramelized, add the sliced steak into the pan. Allow to warm up (about 1 minute).
3. Next, reduce the heat to very low. Add the provolone and mozzarella cheese and mix together until it melts. Remove from heat. 
4. Toast the hoagie buns or bake at 400 F for about five minutes. Add the meat, cheese, vegetable mixture and enjoy!

If you are interested in the Nutrition information, you should check out the page for "Philly Cheese Steak Nutrition Label". You won't believe what a few simple changes did for the recipe! I'll give you a sneak peak: The total calories dropped from over 1000 calories per serving to under 500 calories per serving.

Special thanks to my group members who worked so hard on this project: WG, BC, and SW. Great Job Girls!!!