Cheesy cheesesteak

March 24 is National Cheesesteak Day. I do enjoy a good cheesesteak. For those who may not know, a philly cheesesteak is a sandwich made with thinly sliced, tender steak, caramelized onions and gooey provolone on a toasted hoagie roll. Now, doesn’t that just make your mouth water?! On the west coast, they have modified the cheesesteak to also include green peppers and mushrooms, but the original has none.

The original cheesesteak has been credited to Pat and Harry Olivieri, two brothers who ran a hot dog stand near South Philadelphia’s Italian Market. Legend has it that in the 1930s, the brothers wanted to offer new sandwiches. Their new item was grilled beef and onions in a toasted roll, but didn’t include cheese. Does that even count? How can it be cheesesteak if there is NO cheese? It’s said one of the brothers was eating the sandwich and a cab driver pulled up and ordered what he was eating as it looked so good. The cab driver loved it so much he told them to stop selling hot dogs and just sell those sandwiches. It was so popular they ended up opening a restaurant that is still in business today. It’s said once the sandwich gained popularity, a manager at an Olivieri stand on Ridge Avenue added provolone. Thus, the cheesesteak we all know was created.

In the 1960s, Geno’s opened directly across the street from Pat’s. Geno’s was opened by Joey Vento and he claimed he created the sandwich. While we know he didn’t create it, he did created Cheese Whiz and added it to the sandwich for a new flavor. The Philadelphia Magazine created the Best of Philly competition and it always came down to the two restaurants. The two businesses have been in friendly competition ever since.

Cheesesteaks have evolved over time to incorporate new ingredients and flavors. Chicken cheesesteaks have become a staple item at many restaurants, although it isn’t clear when chicken was introduced as a variation. Expanding menus to feature new types of meat has allowed for new flavor combos, too! Pizza cheesesteaks combines the classic flavors of grilled sirloin steak and provolone with marinara sauce. Chicken cheesesteaks come in lots of varieties too, from the classic philly style to spicy buffalo with bleu cheese.

Fun Facts: A “Philly taco” is a cheesesteak rolled up in a slice of pizza.

The most expensive cheesesteak in Philly is $130, and it comes with champagne.

The Eagles helped make a football field- length cheesesteak on a single roll in 1998. The cheesesteak was 365 feet, 7 inches long. It weighed 1,790 pounds, and measured just a few inches longer than the football field.

Herr’s once made cheesesteak-flavored chips.

There’s a cheesesteak cheesecake. The cake is built on a crushed cracker crust, and made of a cream cheese and provolone base. It’s topped with steak, onions, and peppers (Whiz is optional).

While different cheesesteaks aren’t too difficult, I thought I would combine my favorite Tex-Mex with the delicious cheesesteak. I didn’t add peppers or onions because I don’t care for them as much, but you can add them if you desire. I used provolone, but if you want the cheese whiz, feel free to swap it out as well. The recipes are all similar but manage to have their own flavor. I enjoyed eating all of this week’s recipes and I hope you see one you want to try. This week, make your grocery list and hit the store for some steak. When it comes to steak, ribeye is best, but any tender steak will do. Meet me in the kitchen for a different way to make cheesesteak!