Gooey Cheesesteak Quesadilla Recipe

If you have ever had a true cheesesteak sandwich from Philly, you know how rich, flavorful, and satisfying a few simple ingredients put together in the best way can become. What makes a cheesesteak so special is the flash-cooked, thinly shaved beef, coated in a velvety white cheese sauce and topped with caramelized onions and perhaps some peppers. So just imagine mashing up that glorious filling with another cheesy comfort food — the quesadilla. Such was the inspiration for this gooey cheesesteak quesadilla recipe. The filling has all the classic flavor of a cheesesteak sandwich, with shaved beef sirloin enclosed in a glossy cheese sauce made with white American and smoked provolone. You will taste the classic sweet onions, along with a south-of-the-border twist coming from smoky poblano peppers. The quesadillas are pan-fried to crispy perfection, while some of that filling oozes out and caramelizes in the pan. Serve these beauties with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy every gooey bite!

This recipe is pretty simple, but it requires quick transitions from sauce to meat, so have all mise en place set up and ready to go. Make sure you have your cast iron or other skillet smoking hot before adding the shaved beef so that you achieve a sear rather than steaming the meat. These gooey cheesesteak quesadillas are the most tasty straight out of the pan, but if you need to reheat leftovers, an air fryer will yield excellent results!

These gooey cheesesteak quesadillas need a cut of beef that is tender, yet marbled with enough fat to replicate the richness of a classic cheesesteak sandwich. I like to use sirloin, which comes from the rear rib area of the cow's back. Top sirloin, in particular, is tender enough for quick cooking methods like grilling or searing (as called for in this recipe). There is enough fat to provide a rich flavor, and a price tag that is typically less than rib-eye. You will need two cheeses for your gooey cheese sauce, which are white American and smoked provolone. White American is my preference over the often-used Cheese Whiz of classic cheesesteaks, and smoked provolone adds an extra depth of flavor. Your sauce also requires whole milk and garlic powder. For the onions and peppers component, you will need a poblano pepper and a sweet onion, which will be diced rather than sliced into strips. Have a black pepper grinder and kosher salt on hand for seasoning, and large 10-inch tortillas for enclosing all of the gooey goodness.

Combine the American cheese, milk, and garlic powder in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.

Whisk until melted and smooth.

Add the smoked provolone and whisk again until thick and glossy.

Remove the pan from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat a cast iron or other heavy skillet over high heat.

Add the butter and cook to melt it.

Saute the poblanos and onions until charred and caramelized (about 5 minutes).

Push the vegetables to the side and add the shaved beef in the center of the pan in a single layer.

Let the beef sit undisturbed for one minute to brown, then add the pepper and salt and quickly toss with the vegetables.

Turn off the heat and pour the warm cheese sauce over the beef mixture in the cast iron skillet. Gently toss until the meat is completely coated.

Heat a separate large skillet over medium-low heat.

Lay one tortilla flat in the pan and spread half of the cheesesteak filling on one half of the tortilla.

Fold the empty side over the top and press down lightly with a spatula.

Cook for 2 minutes, then carefully flip to cook on the other side.

Once the quesadilla is golden brown and crisp on both sides, remove it to a cutting board.

Wipe the pan and repeat the process with the other tortilla.

Cut both quesadillas in half and serve immediately with your favorite salsa or dipping sauce.

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Unless you have a commercial deli slicer at home, trying to shave raw beef paper-thin is a messy and frustrating experience. The marbled fat that makes the beef tasty and tender becomes a smeary mess, while the muscle fibers compress under the blade of a knife. The good news is that there is a simple fix, only requiring your freezer. Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels, then place it on a parchment-lined plate or tray and freeze it for about 45 minutes. You don't need to freeze the meat; rather, you're giving it a firmness that comes from a deep chill.

While your meat is chilling, find your sharpest chef's knife or slicer that will easily glide through the semi-frozen meat. Before starting to shave off slices, find the direction of the grain (the muscle fibers). You want to slice across or perpendicular to the grain so that the fibers will break down more easily under heat, and you will achieve a tender bite. Once you have your thin slices, allow the meat to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. You want the meat to sear once it hits the pan, rather than create steam from any ice crystals that might be present. 

As I mentioned above, Cheese Whiz is often used as one of the cheeses in a cheesesteak sandwich. Cheese Whiz is not an actual cheese, but rather a processed "cheese food," meaning it has additives beyond dairy components. The benefit of the additional preservatives in Cheese Whiz is that they actually help to emulsify the cheese sauce, meaning they keep the sauce velvety and smooth, and prevent it from "breaking" with changes of temperature (which happens when the fats separate out and you are left with a curdled mess). American cheese, although a more "cheesey" option, also contains some additives that give it that stabilizing effect in the milk. To make the sauce taste authentic and give it some glossy stretch, provolone is the other go-to classic cheesesteak cheese. Historically, provolone is thought to be the first cheese to be used in a cheesesteak sandwich.

If you want to switch things up in the cheese sauce, think melting cheese. Some examples of good melting cheeses include fontina, cheddar, and, of course, mozzarella. Take note that the cheese sauce in this recipe was formulated to work with American and provolone, so you may need to adjust the amount of milk that you add to the sauce. No matter what combination you choose, whisk that sauce until it is completely smooth so that the fat molecules are well-distributed.

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