Delicious Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers (Easy Recipe)
Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers … So Easy & Delicious
Stuffing anything inside a pepper and tossing it on the grill is super easy and very, very tasty! You know what else is super yummy?? A Philly Cheesesteak! So let’s combine the two! Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers is a favorite summertime meal in our house that can be cooked on the grill or even in the oven … and it’s the perfect dinner if you’re cutting those dreadful carbs or sticking to a keto diet.
We LOVE to garden in our family and we have so much fun growing our own veggies and herbs. But … this season our bell peppers are tiny! They’re adorable little miniatures that are great for an omelet or a salad but not for this hearty cheesesteak recipe! So this gave us the perfect excuse to visit our local farmer’s market where we found some massive and beautifully colored bell peppers to make our Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers!
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers is an easy dinner recipe for the whole family on those busy weeknights when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or for a fun weekend meal cooked on the grill! It’s a delicious recipe and perfect for beginner cooks.
What do you need to make these low carb Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers?
Here is your grocery list for the steak marinade mix:
- Extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup oil
- Worcestershire sauce, 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Black pepper, 1 teaspoon
- Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Paprika, 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the steak and veggies:
- Ribeye steak, 2 pounds ribeye steak – thinly sliced (freeze first so it’s easier to slice into thin strips)
- Olive oil, 3 tablespoons oil
- Onion, 1 large onion (white or yellow onions) – thinly sliced in half
- Mushrooms, 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- Bell peppers, 4 large bell peppers – slice peppers in half (red, yellow, orange, or green bell pepper)
- Kosher salt + black pepper, to taste
Ingredients needed for the Garlic Aioli Sauce:
- Real mayonnaise, 1 cup mayo
- Garlic, 2 cloves garlic – minced
For the top of the peppers:
- Provolone cheese slices, 1 package of slices of provolone cheese (or substitute with American cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese)
- Dried parsley, 1 tablespoon parsley
Let’s marinate the steak while we prep our veggies …
Freeze the steak for about 30 minutes. This will make it super easy to cut the meat into the thinnest of slices. While the steak is freezing, mix together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Remove the steak from the freezer and use a gentle sawing motion with a sharp knife to create thinly sliced strips of steak. Add the slices to a plastic ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Seal and refrigerate for about 3½ to 4 hours to marinate.
Prep the Garlic Aioli Sauce …
Combine the mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl; cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Then preheat your oven to 425° F.
Place the halved bell peppers on a baking sheet (or casserole dish ), brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cooked peppers have softened. This will help release most of the moisture from the peppers prior to adding your filling so your finished dish is not watery.
In a large skillet (we prefer a cast-iron skillet so it can go straight to the oven), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions (and any sliced strips of bell peppers you wish to use) and then add the chopped mushrooms, if you choose to use them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your preferred taste, and cook until the veggies have softened and browned slightly.
Increase the temperature to medium-high heat. Remove the strips of steak from the marinade and place them in the cast-iron skillet (do not add the leftover marinade to the skillet). Sear the slices of steak for about 3 minutes on each side.
Our daughter is not a fan of steak so we prepared a separate skillet with vegetables and chicken for her dinner. Chicken as a substitute for a cheesesteak (cheesechicken??) is actually really yummy!
We’ve got one skillet filled with chicken and veggies and the other with your more traditional cheesesteak ingredients.
Once all the steak has been seared, remove the steak mixture from the skillet and set it aside.
Maybe you want a few carbs in this recipe. If so, try one of our yummy bread recipes:
How do you assemble Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers?
First, drop a spoonful of the prepared Garlic Aioli Sauce into the bottom of each halved pepper.
Place the bell peppers back into your cast-iron skillet or baking dish.
Then fill the inside of each pepper with the meat mixture and top with a slice of provolone cheese.
Bake your tasty stuffed peppers in the preheated oven for 10 minutes to fully melt and slightly brown the cheese.
Then sprinkle with parsley prior to serving to give these beauties a little pizazz!
Frequently asked questions:
Do you have to cook the meat before stuffing and cooking the bell peppers?
We recommend marinating and cooking your meat of choice prior to stuffing and cooking within the bell pepper. You will need to slightly undercook your steak because it will finish out the cooking process inside the pepper. If you fully cook the meat first and then bake it further within the pepper, you risk the steak having a rubbery texture when it’s time to eat.
What is the best meat choice to use for cheesesteaks?
Whatever meat you choose to use for your cheesesteak recipe, it’s important to tenderize it a bit with a meat mallet, then soak the steak in marinade for at least 30 minutes to a few hours, and then freeze for about 30 minutes. OR … you can freeze the steak first, then slice it into strips, and then marinate for a few hours. It’s totally up to you and won’t make a difference in the flavor or texture of the steak. BUT … freezing the meat will allow you to slice it as thin as possible with ease.
- Ribeye – Due to the high fat content of ribeye, this is the steak of choice for a classic Philly Cheesesteak.
- Flank Steak – Flank steak would be our second choice for cheesesteak. It is much leaner than the ribeye and because it has a lot less fat, you may need extra oil to cook it. It is a step up from skirt steak because of it’s tender muscle fibers and texture.
- Skirt Steak – This choice of beef would be a third choice for cheesesteak and it tends to be a less expensive cut of meat. It has a beefier flavor yet a tougher muscle texture which can make it a little chewy. It is commonly used in fajitas as it loves to soak up marinades and flavors.
- Top Sirloin or Sirloin Steak – This cut of steak is flavorful, juicy, and is a great option for steak kabobs.
- Filet Mignon – Filet mignon is by far my most favorite cut of beef but it is the priciest of these options. When sliced into thin steak strips and made into a cheesesteak, the filet is so tender that it is super easy to bite through and taste all the flavors from the marinade.
How do you make stuffed bell peppers that are not watery?
Pre-cooking your bell peppers is essential to making them less watery. We like to pop them in the oven while it’s pre-heating and allow the peppers to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. The heat from the oven will release the moisture from the peppers and will soften the outer skin as well. Then you can stuff them with your favorite ingredients and then pop the peppers back in the oven to heat, combine flavors, and melt your cheese.
Why do my cooked bell peppers taste bitter?
Green bell peppers will always taste the most bitter but only because they are not as ripe as the other colors of bell peppers. Red bell peppers are the least bitter and actually have a bit of a sweet taste to them. Bell peppers ripen in this order: green, yellow, orange, then red. Adding a filling to the inside of the pepper like a meat mixture, herbs and spices, and cheese will help balance out any bitterness.
What ingredients are in a classic Philly Cheesesteak recipe?
I went to the source to see what Philadelphians use in their authentic Philly Cheesesteak classic recipe and not a stuffed pepper version but a real Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Per visitphilly.com, “a cheesesteak consists of a long, crusty roll filled with thinly sliced, freshly sauteed ribeye beef and melted cheese” and the cheese of choice for this delicious hot sandwich is Cheez Whiz but per the article “American and provolone cheese are widely accepted alternatives.” Your cheesesteak toppings can vary but in Philly, you’ll find the most “common toppings to include sauteed onions, cooked mushrooms, ketchup, and sweet or hot “long hots” peppers.”
What are some great side dish recipes to go with Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers?
- Green salad
- Cauliflower rice
- Potato chips
- Side of butter baby bella mushrooms
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad
Looking for more tasty and easy recipes? Try a few here:
- Italian Chicken and Acorn Squash Couscous
- Chicken & Pork Crostina Pasta
- Creamy Beef and Potatoes
- Wild Rice Chicken Casserole – (Easy Recipe)
- Meat and Potato Timballo Pie
Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Equipment
- Large baking dish
- Large Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
Steak Marinade Mix
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Steak and Veggies
- 2 lbs ribeye steak , thinly sliced (freeze first so it's easier to slice)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion , thinly sliced in half
- ½ cup chopped mushrooms , optional
- 4 large bell peppers (any color) , slice in half and scooped out
- kosher salt + black pepper , to taste
Garlic Aioli Sauce
- 1 cup real mayo
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
Toppings
- 1 pkg provolone cheese slices , or shredded
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
Marinade Mix
- Freeze the steak for about 30 minutes while you prepare the marinade. Mix together the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Remove the steak from the freezer and use a gentle sawing motion with a sharp knife to create thinly sliced strips of steak. Add the slices to a plastic ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Seal and refrigerate for about 3½ to 4 hours to marinate.
- Combine mayonnaise and garlic in a small bowl; cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.Preheat oven 425° F.
- Place the halved peppers in a baking (or casserole) dish, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers have softened. NOTE: Prebaking the peppers will help release a lot of the moisture naturally found in peppers so your finished dish will not be too watery.
- In a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions (and any sliced strips of peppers you wish to use) and then add chopped mushrooms (optional); sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until softened and browned slightly. Increase the temperature to medium-high heat. Remove the strips of steak from the marinade and place in the cast-iron skillet (do not add the leftover marinade to the skillet). Sear the slices of steak for about 3 minutes on each side. Once all the steak has been seared, remove the meat and onions from the skillet and set aside.
Assembly
- Drop a spoonful of Garlic Aioli Sauce into the bottom of each halved pepper and place each one back in the cast-iron skillet. Then fill each bell pepper with the steak and onion mixture and top with provolone cheese.Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown slightly.Sprinkle with parsley prior to serving.
Notes
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