Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese
Think mac and cheese is delicious? Try adding thinly sliced steak, peppers and onions! This Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese is packed with flavor, and it’s a definite favorite!
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I’ve always liked logic puzzles. In fact, I have one of those cheap paperback puzzle books that I take with me whenever I fly. It lives in my suitcase, and I’ll do puzzles to help pass the time. I’m also that weird kid who actually enjoyed word problems in math class.
You know the ones I’m talking about, right? If a tree is 90-feet tall, and the shadow stretches 60-feet, then what is the angle from the end of the shadow to the top of the tree? On second thought, who cares? I mean, I’ll solve it. But who cares what the angle is!?
If a train leaves Philadelphia at 6am traveling 55 mph, and another train leaves Boston at 7am traveling 65 mph, what time will they meet? Again, give me enough info, and I’ll solve it. I can see that puzzle actually having an impact on real-life though. I mean we don’t want those trains running smack into each other, do we? Or do we?
If one of the trains was loaded with Philly Cheesesteaks, and the other train was loaded with Mac and Cheese…then I’m thinking a collision wouldn’t be too bad. (Well, as long as no-one gets hurt, of course.)
Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese
That collision is basically what happened with this Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese. I took all of the deliciousness of Philly cheesesteaks – thinly sliced steaks + sauteed peppers + onions + cheese – and I combined that with a good mac and cheese recipe. Like 5 kinds of cheese good! That’s right. This is a 5-cheese Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese. Truthfully, you can probably combine some of the cheeses as long as you keep the overall amount the same, but the combination here is mighty tasty!
To make this Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese, I used my go-to mac and cheese recipe. I did play around with the types of cheeses for a fun twist, though. (I kept the overall amount of cheese the same.) I also added some soy sauce. Soy sauce? In mac and cheese? Yup, and it totally works!
I got the soy sauce idea from a local brewery that makes some killer mac and cheeses. A while back, they posted a video on Facebook showing the ingredients they put into their mac and cheeses. There were the usual suspects, of course. But then came the aged shoyu.
Aged sho-what? Aged shoyu. Shoyu is a Japanese soy sauce. The flavor of shoyu is definitely different from traditional soy sauce, but I felt like soy sauce was close enough for the home kitchen. Plus, we always keep soy sauce in our house. We don’t always keep shoyu.
The soy sauce adds a unique underlying flavor in this Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese, and it’s quite delicious! Plus, the steak, onions and peppers help, too. Overall, this recipe gets two thumbs up from me. I might have taken a fork straight to this dish as soon as the pictures were taken. Now I’m off to solve a logic puzzle somewhere. Either that or see if there are any leftovers of this delicious mac and cheese. Cheers, friends!
Did you make this Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 16 oz. top sirloin steak or other cut of beef steak
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
For the Mac and Cheese
- 1 pound large elbow macaroni
- 4 large eggs
- 12 oz. evaporated milk
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded smoked gouda cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese
- 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1” cubes
Instructions
For the Steak
- Using a large frying pan (preferably cast iron), add oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear steaks 2-3 minutes per side to develop a deep brown crust; transfer to cutting board.
- Reduce to medium heat and add onion and pepper, stirring often until slightly soft and browned on edges, about 8-10 minutes; transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Slice steak into thin ½” strips; place steak into bowl with peppers and onions. Add salt, black pepper, oregano and smoked paprika; stir until well combined.
For the Mac and Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Using a large pot, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set pasta aside.
- Using a large skillet, add eggs, evaporated milk, soy sauce, dry mustard and garlic powder; whisk until well combined. Place over low heat and cook, stirring often, until warm.
- Add shredded cheeses and cubed cream cheese. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cheeses have fully melted and created a smooth cheese sauce.
- Stir in cooked pasta and transfer ⅔ of the mixture into a large greased baking dish.
- Add the steak and peppers mixture to the remaining pasta mixture; stir until well combined. Transfer this mixture into the top of the baking pan.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top begins to turn golden brown.
Looking for other tasty recipes using steak? Check out these other favorites, too:
Not so sure about those puzzles, but this recipe? Yes please! A delicious collision indeed! I mean philly cheesestack meets mac and cheese? Say whaaaaa? Total deliciousness, my friend. Who needs plates? I’d be so tempted to just dig in right from the pan 😉
Haha! I get it, Dawn. But I’m with ya on the delicious combination of Philly Cheesesteak and Mac & Cheese. I mean there’s so much flavor going on in this one! 🙂
wow this sounds incredible. my husband would love it. i like what you did to the steak, as well as the cheesy part of the mac. Fabulous!
Thanks so much, Mimi! This really is a fun (and delicious) recipe! 🙂
Awesome. I love Philly cheesesteaks, such a great idea to combine it with Mac and Cheese. This is comfort food!
You said it, Matt – this is comfort food at its best! 🙂 Thanks so much, my friend!
I’ve been craving mac and cheese like crazy lately (I almost bought a box of the box stuff this morning because I’m too busy to cook at the moment. . .but I’m not that desperate yet). So this recipe comes at the perfect time! I seriously need to try this–I think your post is a sign that I’m due for some cheesy carbs very soon 🙂
Nooo…don’t buy the boxed stuff, Kelsie! You’ll just be disappointed. I highly recommend grabbing some cheese (ok, multiple cheeses) and making a batch of homemade mac and cheese. It’s worth it!
this sounds very delicious indeed david. I’m not a big fan of mac and cheese (it’s usually so bland and glutinous) but i think with these additions, it would be very very tasty. must try…
I agree with you on mac and cheese, Sherry. I’ve had disappointing mac and cheese many, many times, and that’s why I finally took things into my own hands to make a tasty homemade version. I do like this one a lot, and of course the steak, peppers and onions add a ton of flavor, too!
So I have a daughter in Philly and a son in Taiwan. He adores Philly cheese steaks and she loves both. If I sent each a fork, how long would it take them to get home to polish this off?
Oooo…that’s a tough one, Abbe. I think I need to know the size of the forks to be able to figure this one out. 🙂
Wow – this is mac and cheese on a whole new level, and I LOVE it.
What a tasty meal! Delicious idea full of great flavours!
Yes! As if mac and cheese really needed to be boosted to a new level, right? I mean I love a good mac and cheese…but add steak, peppers and onions? Ok, sign me up! Thanks, Alexandra!
Ha Ha!!! Glad a real crash didn’t happen, but I’ll take this collision of two of my favorites! You just can’t go wrong with mac and cheese -ever! But adding all those yummy philly cheese steak ingredients makes mac and cheese extra special!
Hah! Yup, no actual collision here fortunately. However, the combination of mac and cheese + steak, onions and peppers is pretty darned magical. I couldn’t stop eating this! “Just one more bite…” 🙂
If a train leaves Philadelphia at 6am traveling 55 mph, and another train leaves Boston at 7am traveling 65 mph, they will meet just in time for second breakfast. Assuming, of course, that the trains are headed toward one another. You didn’t really speicfy. Anyway, my guess is that the Philly train will be carrying a shipment of cheesesteaks, and the Boston train will have several crates of mac-n-cheese, which will be perfect, because they’ll do a quick exchange, and when the trains reach their final destinations, everyone will have lunch!
Ah, you make an excellent observation here, Jeff. You earn an A+. We didn’t know whether the trains were actually heading towards each other. Perhaps they were both heading to your place in Chicago?
Oh my goodness David! I’m totally a puzzler, too! I love sudoku puzzles and any kind of logic puzzles – I’m a total digit-head, so all the math for me, please! And this Philly Steak mac n cheese for me, too! Perfect dish for all the hungry people at my table! Yum! This will be on my table, soon!
I never got into sudoku puzzles too much, but logic puzzles? I love those things! I was pleasantly surprised that the LSAT included logic puzzles – well, at least it did back in the day. Either way, this Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese is no puzzle. It’s delicious, and it disappears quickly! 🙂
I always loved those word puzzles too. I need to look for one of those books to take when we travel!
Comfort foods collide in this beauty, David. Just wow! I’d love a big serving right now for lunch.
I grabbed one of those logic puzzle books at an airport store. It’s taken me forever to work through it as I only do a couple of puzzles at a time. In fact, I think my book is probably 8-9 years old now. But logic puzzles don’t go bad over time!
Thanks so much for the kind words, Marissa. This recipe will definitely be making another appearance in our house soon!
The most delicious food collision, David! In truth, I hated the train/car puzzles, though I could solve them! I’d totally have a go at a few if you serve me this cozy deliciousness though. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to see what’s coming next.
That’s a deal, Katerina! I’ll serve you some of this delicious mac and cheese, and you can work on the logic puzzles. Either that, or just leave the logic puzzles to me – I love those things! 🙂
wow, what a comfort food! i mean, who wouldn’t want his for dinner!? nobody. 😉 Love the addition of the soy, too. 🙂 ~Valentina
Yes! The addition of soy sauce was an expected piece here. I’m curious to try aged shoyu like that local restaurant here, but I was pleased with the soy sauce addition. Thanks so much, Valentina!
I like how you combined two fantastic foods together. This looks totally delicious!!
Tell me about it, Dawn! You can’t get much better than these two classics…unless you combine them together. 🙂
Math related puzzles? Nope, thanks! Keep them for yourself. Philly Cheesesteak Mac and Cheese (loaded with tons of cheese)? You can count me in, David! Please give me the largest bowl! Poutine with this topping is one of my favourite, but I honestly never thought of using it in mac&cheese. Looks stunning and so delicious!
Hah! Fine, I’ll keep the math puzzles to myself. I might’ve shared this Philly Cheesesteak Mac & Cheese…but…well…it might be all gone. Oops! That’s a great idea to make poutine with steak and peppers and onions! That’s going on the list next. Thanks, Ben!
Hi David
I do not like smoked cheeses, is there anything else I could use in place of it.
Hey Jackie! I totally understand about smoked cheeses – they can be strong. Instead of the smoked gouda, you can use a good “melty” cheese. I’d recommend something like regular (non-smoked) gouda, Muenster or Monterey Jack. Heck, even shredded mozzarella could work here because you’ll have so much flavor coming from the other cheeses. I hope this helps! This is a tasty recipe for sure. 🙂