Melty Philly Cheesesteak Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
This post might have affiliate links. For full details please see my disclosure policy.
Get ready friends, because today, we’re kicking off football season the only way I know how: with something carb-y, cheesy, and great with beer. These Philly cheesesteak sliders are layered on Hawaiian rolls with lots of melty cheese, onions, and peppers for a handheld snack inspired by the classic sub. Serve them with potato chips for the ultimate game day appetizer!
Back in the day, my special little treat was going to this run-down shack of a restaurant that made the best cheesesteaks. (RIP Little Philadelphia.) Their sandwiches were the perfect amount of grease and cheese and I swear, their fries were to die for. It really was like having a little Philly right in the center of Reno.
So now that I have to rely on my own damn self for a good cheesesteak, I’ve tested lots of recipes to come up with my perfect sandwich situation. I used a few little tricks that I learned when I was in culinary school (like using a really good cast iron skillet!) and the result are these melty, savory sliders.
But also, as a born-and-raised west coast girlie, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this is the most authentic Philly because I know it’s not. It’s just a recipe for an attainable slider situation that you can make without any special ingredients. (I’m looking at you, Amoroso rolls.) This is the snack-turned-meal you need at your next get together!
Also, if you’re looking for some more steak appetizers, make sure to try these beef Wellington bites, 5-ingredient boursin and roast beef crostini, or my favorite – blue cheese steak crostini!
Provolone, American, or Cheez Whiz?
Some people (like my husband) swear by Cheez Whiz for a Philly. But most classic Philly spots offer a choice of provolone, American cheese, or Cheez Whiz. My personal fave is a good-quality American cheese from the deli counter. But I’ll give you tips on using all three in this recipe!
Besides your cheese of choice, you’ll also need neutral oil, bell peppers, a brown onion, Morton’s Kosher salt, black pepper, unsalted butter, shaved steak, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, Hawaiian rolls, mayo, and parsley. You can get shaved steak from the meat counter or slice your own!
Slice the steak
If you can’t find shaved steak at the grocery store, you can totally slice it yourself! Ribeye steak is my favorite but you can also use sirloin or skirt steak too. To shave the steak, make sure you have a super sharp chef’s knife. Then, slice the steak as thinly as possible against the grain.
If you slice the steak by hand, freeze the ribeye for about 20-30 minutes first. It will firm up the steak which makes it so much easier to slice thinly!
Make the filling
While you’re sautéing the steak, break it up a bit with a wooden spoon. You want the steak to be chopped a bit so it crisps up just a little on the edges.
Layer the sliders
Want to use Cheez Whiz instead? Just stir half of the Cheez Whiz into the filling to help the meat & veggies stick together. Then, spread the other half of the Cheez Whiz on top of the meat and veggies before baking!
With or without onions & peppers
Adding veggies to cheesesteaks is controversial at best. From what I know, original Phillies don’t have any veggies. But personally, I like the addition of peppers and onions! Of course, you can totally leave them out if you want a more traditional cheesesteak.
Mushrooms are also another popular choice. I don’t love mushrooms in a cheesesteak so I didn’t use any in this recipe. But if you want to, feel free to replace one of the bell peppers with about 1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms.
How to store & reheat leftovers
I honestly think these sliders taste best right away, but if you do have leftovers, just pop them in an airtight container. You can refrigerate the leftovers for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to reheat the sliders, wrap them in foil and bake at 350°F until they’re warmed through, about 15 minutes. Or, microwave individual sliders for about 1 minute.
Serving ideas
I usually make steak and cheese sliders as an appetizer but they’re also delicious for dinner! I like to serve them with smashed fingerling potatoes, crispy frizzled onions, or even baked tater tots.
If you want to serve them with other crowd-pleasing, casual snacks, try cheesy loaded waffle fries, my famous garlic butter chicken wings, or my husband’s Sicilian-style pizza!
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
The Best Philly Cheesesteak Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
Ingredients
- 15 milliliters neutral oil (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 small green bell pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 1/2 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 28 grams unsalted butter, divided (2 Tablespoons)
- 400 grams shaved steak, see notes (14 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 227 grams provolone or white American cheese, divided, see notes for Cheez Whiz (1/2 pound)
- 1 package Hawaiian rolls (12 rolls)
- 60 grams mayonnaise (1/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced parsley, optional
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- Bread knife
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat the neutral oil in a cast iron skillet or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced bell peppers and onions. Season with Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste. Sauté, stirring often, until the veggies are softened and starting to caramelize on the edges. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) of the butter to the hot skillet. Once it's melted, add the steak. Using a spatula, bread the steak apart into bite-sized pieces. Sauté the steak just until it's no longer pink and has some brown bits on the edges. Stir in the garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the peppers and onions back to the pan. Then, add half of the provolone or America cheese. Stir constantly until the filling is melty and well combined. Set aside.
- Using a bread knife, cut the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally, leaving the bottom and top halves intact. Spread 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) of mayo on each cut half. Then, spread the filling evenly over the bottom half of the rolls. Layer the remaining cheese on top of the filling. Place the top half of the rolls over the filling to sandwich everything together.
- Melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon (14 grams) of unsalted butter. Add the parsley and a pinch of Kosher salt. Brush the parsley butter over the tops of the rolls. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the filling is warmed through and the tops of the buns are golden-brown. Slice the sliders and enjoy!
We enjoyed this recipe very much. We 1.5x’s the meat and cheese and substituted an orange pepper for the green one, but everything else was the same. These were delicious and I will definitely be using this recipe again!
Thanks so much, Jonathan! So glad you liked the recipe. 🙂