PHILLY CHEESESTEAK DIP

Philly Cheesesteak Dip is like a deconstructed Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. Melty cheese, grilled peppers and onions, and tender beef come together in dippable form inspired by the famous sandwich!

HOW TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK DIP

• Start with the peppers and onions.  Saute the onions in a little butter over medium-low heat until they begin to caramelize, which will draw out their natural sweetness. Then add in the diced green bell pepper and continue to cook until softened. A little minced garlic gets added in at the end for good measure.
• Use sliced and chopped deli roast beef to make this dip extra easy to throw together.  You could also use leftover steak, or go ahead and cook up a ribeye, if you prefer. Just slice your meat into bite-size pieces so that they mix into the dip well.
• The real star of this dip is the hot, melty cheese.  Softened cream cheese gets mixed together with sour cream, provolone cheese, and the meat and veggies, then you can dump it all into a baking dish, or just do what I did and put it back into the skillet you used to cook the peppers and onions. Top it with some of the remaining provolone cheese and pop it in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until gooey and hot!

TIPS FOR THE BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAK DIP RECIPE

• This recipe calls for sliced deli roast beef, which makes it super easy since you don’t have to cook a steak to make the dip. But if you wanted to, you could sear a nice rib eye seasoned with a salt and pepper in a couple tablespoons of butter and oil in a hot skillet for 4-6 minutes on each side, then slice it into thin, bite-size pieces and use that instead. Or just use leftover steak if you happen to have one in the fridge.
• If you don’t have provolone on hand, you could sub in mozzarella or even monterey jack instead, but it won’t be quite the same flavor or as true to the authentic philly cheesesteak experience.
• Serve this with a thinly sliced baguette. My favorite baguettes are the ones from the Costco bakery – they are so good! You can toast them or serve them soft, which is how I like to do it. Pita chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, and even crisp veggies like carrots would be other good dippable vehicles for transporting this warm, cheesy deliciousness to your mouth as well.
• You could sprinkle the dip with some chopped fresh parsley or even chopped green onions for a pop of color. I even had parsley on hand and meant to do that when I photographed this philly cheesesteak dip, but honestly got so excited about eating it that I totally spaced it and then before I knew it the dip was half gone. Oops.

INGREDIENTS

•  1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
•  4 tablespoons butter
•  1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
•  1 large green bell pepper, chopped
•  3 cloves garlic, minced
•  1 teaspoon Kosher salt
•  1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened
•  1 cup sour cream
•  1/2 pound deli roast beef, roughly chopped
•  2 (8 ounce) packages sliced Provolone cheese, chopped

FOR SERVING

•  Sliced baguette
•  Tortilla Chips
•  Pretzels
•  Carrot sticks or other vegetables for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth.  Add in sour cream.  Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-low heat.  Add the brown sugar and onions and saute 10-15 minutes until caramelized.
4. Add in the green pepper and garlic and cook for a few minutes more until peppers are tender. 
5. Transfer the sauteed peppers and onions to the bowl along with the chopped roast beef and all about 1/2 cup of the provolone cheese.  Stir well until everything is combined. 
6. Transfer the mixture to a pie plate, baking dish, or just use the oven-safe skillet used for sauteeing the vegetables.  Sprinkle with the remaining provolone cheese.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the dip is hot and bubbly, and the provolone cheese starts to slightly brown on top.  Serve immediately with sliced baguette, tortilla chips, pretzels, or veggies.