Guest Post: Meaty Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks by The Gouda Life
We have a guest in the kitchen! We have Kelly of The Gouda Life back with us today, sharing an impressive, drool-worthy lunch! Skip the fork and knife and dive into this wonderfully fun sandwich.
These sandwiches are deliciously messy and easy to make. I like to make the cheese sauce in advance and then warm it up on the evening we’re going to make the sandwiches. The recipe calls for a lot of mushrooms, but they are the main ingredient and the big draw here so don’t skimp on them. If you’re not feeling up to making a homemade cheese cause, don’t think twice before reaching for the Cheez Whiz or Velveeta. Both are totally acceptable and delicious in this situation. Just ask your friends from Philly.
Meaty Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks
I use meaty portabello and white/brown button mushrooms here. It would be delicious with one variety of mushrooms but I welcome the textural and flavour differences that comes from mixing a couple types.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40-50 minutes | Makes: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 (354ml) can 2% evaporated milk
Mushrooms Onions & Peppers
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
8 heaping cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 red peppers, seeds removed and sliced
1 large sweet onion
To Serve
4 soft hoagies
Method
For the Cheese Sauce
Place a small pot with 1-2″ of water on the stove and place a bowl snugly into that pot ensuring the base of the bowl isn’t touching the water. This is a makeshift double boiler. Add all the cheese sauce ingredients to the bowl and turn stove on to med-high heat. Keep an eye on it and give it a good whisk every so often until the cheese is melted and smooth. Keep warm on low.
For the Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers
Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat on the stove. Add the sliced mushrooms, spreading them out as much as you can and let their liquids release, mixing every few minutes. Once the liquid reduces and the pan is dry again, let the mushrooms sit untouched for 5-6 minutes so they can develop a nice golden brown colour. Give them a mix and let them sit again, untouched, for 4-5 minutes or until they are all browned and crisped up. Add salt and stir for another 1-2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the sliced onions and peppers into the hot pan with another 2 tbsp of olive oil. Let them cook, stirring only occasionally, until starting to turn golden brown. About 6-8 minutes.
Brush your hoagies with some oil or melted butter and toast/grill until light golden brown. Top each with 1/4 of the mushrooms, 1/4 of the red peppers and a few good glugs of the cheese sauce. Squish together and DIG IN. I dare you not to make a mess.
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Dig in and get your hands messy! Sometimes all you need is a big, bold, delicious sandwich to help curb your cravings. As always, a big thanks to Kelly for inspiring our menus and keeping our appetites satisfied.
Follow along with Kelly online at The Gouda Life and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
