Cheesesteak Casserole

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday starting off this week, I’m bringing you a great idea that you can take to parties and potlucks. It’s a take on a Philly Cheesesteak Sub, but done casserole style so that you can simply slice yourself a hunk and eat it while watching the game. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to have a real Philly, you know that the onions and peppers are sauteed until soft in lots of oil and then it’s layered with gooey cheese goodness.

To keep things reasonable so you can enjoy other parts of a food feast, I amped up the veggies and also kept the oil out of the picture. The onions and peppers soften just fine on their own with a little non-stick spray. Since I’m dealing with a dairy allergy, I opted for vegan mozzarella cheese in my casserole but don’t let that scare you.

Use real mozzarella cheese and you’ll be just fine. You can also get creative with this and make a chicken cheesesteak sub or even a vegan one like I did. Top that sucker with your favorite Philly toppings too. The recipe is easily doubled if needed so you can feed a larger crowd.

Cheesesteak Casserole 

• 1/2 loaf French bread or other crusty bread (~168g or 6 oz)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced (~125g)
• 1 medium green pepper, sliced (~165g)
• 16 oz grilled chicken, grilled steak, or seitan strips
• 1 cup (112g) shredded dairy free mozzarella cheese or low fat mozzarella cheese
• Lettuce, tomatoes and mayo, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray. I used a 10 inch round pyrex baking dish. Cut your French bread into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and with non-stick spray. Add the onions and green pepper slices.

Salt to taste and sautee the veggies until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken, steak or seitan strips and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Put a layer of about 1/3 of the bread cubes in the bottom of the baking dish. Add half the meat and veggie mixture and top with about half of the cheese.

Add another 1/3 of bread cubes, and top with the remaining meat and veggies. Finish the casserole by topping with the last 1/3 of the bread and the last of the cheese. Smoosh it down slightly if needed to fit it into the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melty and the top is starting to brown.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Cut into 4 slices and top with traditional cheesesteak toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, mayo.

Makes 4 servings at approximately 336 calories – 26g protein, 40g of carbs, and 9g of fat for the variation with seitan strips and vegan cheese. Your nutritional values will vary depending on the protein you choose and the variety of cheese.

Funny enough, we’re one of those households that participates in Super Bowl fun with food and for the commercials. We tune out during the actual game itself, and then pay attention during the commercial breaks. Livin’ on the edge, I know.