How to make a loaded Philly cheesesteak with roast beef lunch meat in 30 minutes or less. Packed full of cheesy goodness, this classic sandwich recipe is perfect for a Game Day party or even just an easy dinner at home!
My husband grew up in Pennsylvania, and of course one of his favorite foods is Philly cheesesteak. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to find a good cheesesteak here in the Midwest, so I’ve learned to make homemade Philly cheesesteaks instead. But recently I started making this Philly cheesesteak recipe with deli roast beef instead of the ribeye steak that is traditionally used, and my whole family likes it almost as much as our favorite Crock Pot Philly cheesesteak!
Not only is deli meat cheaper, but I also like that it’s sliced thinner. This recipe makes an ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth Philly cheesesteak with roast beef that’s packed full with the meaty, cheesy goodness that will have everybody coming back for more! It definitely makes a quick and easy, budget-friendly cure for those cheesesteak sandwich cravings when you’re just too busy to mess around with slicing up and cooking all that steak!
Ingredients & Substitutions Notes
- Deli Roast Beef – Although authentic Philly cheesesteak uses thinly sliced ribeye steak, I’ve found that a good quality deli roast beef makes a great substitute. Roast beef lunch meat has similar flavor overall to steak, and it’s so quick and easy with no cooking necessary!
- Bacon Grease – I like to sauté the meat and vegetables in bacon grease. We almost always have some leftover from breakfast, and I love the bacon flavor that it imparts to the cheesesteak ingredients! If you don’t have any bacon grease on hand, you can also use butter or olive oil.
- Veggies – This recipe calls for yellow onion, green bell peppers, fresh mushrooms and minced garlic, all of which will be sautéd ahead of time with the deli meat. If you’re looking to spice things up, try adding ingredients like pepperoncinis, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sweet pickles and broccoli florets. Be creative!
- Spices – You’ll need sea salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika and Worcestershire sauce for your roast beef Philly cheesesteak. If you’re like us, you probably already have everything on hand!
- Hoagie Rolls – Traditional Philly cheesesteaks are served on hoagie rolls, but you can also use baguettes, ciabatta rolls or even hot dog buns in a pinch. Heck, we’ve been known to use plain old sandwich bread from time to time when it’s all we’ve got! Sometimes I even make Philly cheesesteak sliders on Hawaiian rolls as the ultimate party appetizer to feed a crowd!
- Cheese – Provolone cheese makes the best cheesesteak. If you don’t have any provolone cheese on hand, you can substitute with white American cheese, shredded mozzarella, white cheddar or Swiss cheese.
- Cheez Whiz – In addition to the provolone cheese, I always add a little Cheez Whiz to my Philly cheesesteaks! If you’re out of Cheez Whiz, yellow queso makes a great replacement!
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak With Roast Beef
Before getting started, add the bacon grease to a 9-inch skillet over low-medium heat on the stovetop to preheat. Use a large knife to slice up the veggies, including the onion and bell peppers. You’ll also want to mince up the mushrooms and garlic, and then thinly slice the roast beef lunch meat.
Prepping the Meat & Veggie Mixture
- Start by adding the sliced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and minced garlic to the skillet that you prepped in the first step. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or ’til the onions are slightly translucent and tender when poked with a fork. Once cooked, transfer the veggies to a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, add the sliced deli meat, salt, pepper, paprika and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet over low-medium heat. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the meat is warmed.
- Add the veggies to the meat mixture, stirring ’til well combined. Let simmer ’til fully cooked, about 5-10 minutes.
- While you’re waiting on the meat/veggie mixture to cook, use a knife to split the hoagie buns open. I like to add a dab of bacon grease to a griddle or large cast iron skillet on the stovetop, and then I’ll place the hoagie buns, open side down, onto the griddle to toast until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Alternatively, you can also spread or brush a little bacon grease or butter onto the buns, and then let them toast for about 5-10 minutes at 350ºF on a large baking sheet in the oven. Again, you want them to be golden-brown and slightly crispy!
How to Assemble Your Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Now that the meat mixture is cooked and the buns are fully toasted, it’s time to assemble the sandwich…
- First, spread a thin coating of mayo on each hoagie bun.
- Next, add 2 slices of provolone cheese to each bun, as pictured.
- Now you can add a generous helping of the meat & veggie mixture on top of the provolone cheese. Don’t be skimpy!
- Lastly, I like to top everything off with Cheez Whiz. This adds a yummy cheesy texture that practically melts in your mouth with every bite!
That’s it! Your Philly cheesesteak with roast beef is ready to serve alongside your favorite side dish. They’re so easy to make, yet so delicious!
What to Serve With Roast Beef Philly Cheesesteak
- Since we’re normally making this Philly cheesesteak with roast beef on busier weeknights, we usually just serve ours with something simple. Think fresh fruits and veggies or even chips.
- Cheesesteak sandwiches go great with steak fries and loaded chili cheese fries!
- If you’re looking for something healthy, I recommend this dill veggie finger salad, broccoli salad with bacon and cauliflower, this layered salad or maybe this pasta salad.
- Did you know that cheesesteak goes really well with corn on the cob? Sometimes we make grilled corn in the husk, and my kids love it when I make Mexican corn on the cob.
- Sometimes we keep things simple with baked potatoes. If you’re feeding a crowd, consider putting together this easy & fun baked potato bar!
- Last but not least, who doesn’t love chicken and hummus loaded nachos with their roast beef Philly cheesesteak sandwiches?
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
I recommend making only enough to eat at one time. Philly cheesesteaks with roast beef are so quick and easy to make that there’s really no point in making them ahead of time. If you have leftovers, just store the meat mixture separately from the buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Otherwise, the buns will get soggy, which nobody likes! You can reheat the meat mixture in the microwave at 30-second intervals, ’til hot and bubbly. Then just toast the buns and assemble your cheesesteak sandwiches like normal.
Again, I don’t actually recommend making roast beef Philly cheesesteaks ahead of time. However, you can freeze any leftover meat mixture. Simply transfer it to an airtight container and into the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to make the sandwiches, let the meat mixture thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat in the microwave at 30-second intervals, toast the hoagie buns and assemble your cheesesteak sandwiches like normal!
More Easy Sandwich Recipes
- Classic Chicago Hot Dogs or Crock Pot Hot Dogs
- Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger
- If you like homemade sloppy joes, you’ll love Philly Cheesesteak sloppy joes, Crock Pot sloppy joes, taco sloppy joes, grilled cheese sloppy joes and pepperoni pizza sloppy joes!
- Grilled Taco Tuna Melt
- Gourmet Grilled Cheese With Bacon, Tomato and Avocado
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Philly Cheesesteak With Roast Beef
Equipment
- 1 Griddle optional
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Roast Beef
- 2 tablespoons Bacon Grease
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Yellow Onion sliced
- 4 ounces Fresh Mushrooms minced
- 2 Green Bell Peppers sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 6 Hoagie Rolls
- 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
- 12 slices Provolone Cheese
- 3/4 cup Cheez Whiz
Instructions
- Before getting started, add the bacon grease to a 9-inch skillet over low-medium heat on the stovetop to preheat.
Prepping the Ingredients
- Start by slicing up the veggies with a large knife, including the onions and bell peppers. Mince up the mushrooms and garlic, and then thinly slice the roast beef lunch meat.
- Then add the sliced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic to the skillet that you prepped in the first step. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or 'til the onions are slightly translucent and tender when poked with a fork.
- Once cooked, transfer the veggies to a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, add the sliced deli meat, salt, pepper, paprika and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet over low-medium heat. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, or 'til the meat is warmed.
- Add the veggies to the meat mixture, stirring 'til well combined. Let simmer 'til fully cooked, about 5-10 minutes.
- While waiting on the meat/veggie mixture to cook, use a knife to split each of the hoagie buns open.
- Add a dab of bacon grease to a griddle or large cast iron skillet on the stovetop, and then place the hoagie buns, open side down, onto the griddle to toast 'til golden brown and slightly crispy.*
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak With Roast Beef
- Once toasted, spread a thin coating of mayo on each hoagie roll.
- Now you can add a generous helping of the meat & veggie mixture on top of the provolone cheese.
- Optionally, you can top everything off with Cheez Whiz.
- That's it! Serve and enjoy your Philly cheesesteak with roast beef alongside your favorite side dishes.
This was phenomenal!!! Reminded me of a glorious cheesesteak I had in Reading Terminal. My husband loved it too. Thanks!!