Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat – Cooking With Fire
Here is a philly cheesesteak bread boat. Take a French bread baguette, slice the top off and remove the insides. Fill it with provolone cheese on the bottom, one pound of thin sliced ribeye steak seared in a super hot pan, sweet onion cooked down, nacho cheese sauce, and top it with more provolone cheese. Bake at 350°F or on the grill until the bread is crisp and the top is browned. Not your traditional Philly cheesesteak. The nacho cheese sees to that. Check out my Grilled Sausage Stuffed Bread Boats, which are similar, just with sausage. This is steak.
Steak is what makes this, whether it’s ribeye or NY strip. Thin sliced and thrown into a dry, super hot pan. Leave it be until you get a crust. Flavor lives in the crust. The onions cook in that same pan after. Nothing wasted.
Great for game day, parties, or when you just want a cheesesteak but need to feed more than yourself. One loaf goes a long way.
Quick Look: Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat
- Method: Cook the steak and onion, stuff a bread boat, bake or grill
- Oven or grill temp: 350°F
- Bake: 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted and browned
- Steak: Super hot pan, crust it, then toss and season
- Rest: 2 to 3 minutes before cutting
- Serves: 4 to 6
- The one thing that matters most: The pan must be ripping hot and the steak must be thin. Thin steak in a ripping hot pan gives you a crust. Thicker steak in a less hot pan will steam
If you want a stuffed bread that uses brisket, try my Smoked Brisket Stuffed Hot Pocket.
Why This Recipe
- Crust your steak. Thin ribeye in a dry pan on high heat. Do not move it until it starts to get watery on top. That’s when you have a crust. Crust is what makes a cheesesteak a cheesesteak.
- Cook your onions in the steak pan. You get all the flavor the steak leaves behind. Less cleaning, more flavor.
- Nacho cheese and provolone. Two different cheeses for two reasons. The provolone melts and browns on the bottom and top. The nacho cheese sauce fills in the gaps and melts over the steak. You get full coverage over the whole loaf.
- Removing the inside of the bread. This allows room for a whole pound of steak and the sweet onion. Your outside crust is still there, so each piece you cut will have a crispy shell.
- Feeds many. Cut it into pieces and you can feed a lot of people from one loaf of bread. Have some extra nacho cheese sauce on the side and dip the ends.
I make many sandwiches off my grill. This is one I pass around instead of handing out.
Key Ingredients
For the Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat
- Bread. I used a large French bread baguette. Any length will work, but I want to make sure I have room for my steak. Day old bread is great for this. The photos show two boats, so grab two loaves if you are feeding a crowd.
- Steak. 1 lb of ribeye or New York strip, sliced as thin as you can get it and cut into strips. I prefer ribeye because of the fat content, but NY strip works. You can also place the steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes. It makes thin slicing easier.
- Sweet onion. 1 large, sliced thin into half moons.
- Provolone cheese slices. 1 package. Use about 3 slices on the bottom and 3 on top, more if your loaf is longer.
- Nacho cheese sauce. 1 cup, or an 8 oz container. I heated mine up and added a little milk to thin it out.
- Olive oil. Just enough to give the pan a sheen for the steak if it is dry, and a little more for the onions.
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder. Or your preferred steak seasoning. About 1 tsp of each. Season your steak after it is seared, not before.
- Milk. 1 to 2 tbsp, to thin out your nacho cheese sauce.
- Jalapeños. Diced, to top with. I did this but feel free to omit.
Have some extra nacho cheese sauce warmed up on the side. I always do that when I have a tray of food on the table, same as with my Pulled Pork Nachos.
Substitutions or Additions
- Add bell peppers. Thin sliced and cooked down with your onions. This will make it more of a classic cheesesteak.
- Use cheese whiz. Or American cheese in place of the nacho cheese sauce. You still want provolone on the bottom and top.
- Mushrooms. Throw some sliced mushrooms in your pan after the onions have started to caramelize.
- Hoagie rolls. Cut and remove the inside of the roll. You will have smaller bread boats and they will cook quicker. Same idea as my Tri Tip Sandwich, just stuffed instead of stacked.
- Steak from the deli. Already sliced thin. Just cut it into strips and throw it in that hot pan.
- Use chicken. Thin sliced chicken breast in that ripping hot pan. Crust it up and cook it through to 165°F. Check out my Buffalo Chicken Flatbread for more on chicken and bread.
- Make it a dip. Take all of these ingredients except the bread, place them in a cast iron skillet and bake until bubbly. Toast the inside of your bread boat for dipping.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat (Step by Step)
Slice your steak as thin as you can. Cut it into strips. I like to slice my steak after it has been in the freezer for 20 minutes. It makes slicing it thin easier.
Sear the steak. Get a pan as hot as you can get it. If your pan is completely dry, rub a small amount of oil on it. You just want a sheen. Add your steak in one layer and leave it. Once the steak starts to get watery on top it’s almost done. Give it a toss. Repeat if you have more steak than fits in one layer.
Season your steak. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder, or your steak seasoning. Give it one more toss and remove it from the pan.
Cook the onions. Add a small amount of olive oil to your steak pan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until caramelized and cooked all the way down, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan.
Cut and hollow the bread. Preheat your oven or grill to 350°F. Using a bread knife, carefully cut the top of the bread off. You only want to remove enough to create an opening. Remove the inside of the bread by hand, leaving enough on the sides and bottom to hold your steak and onion.
Line your bread with cheese and fill it. Add your provolone on the bottom. You should be able to fit about 3 slices. Add your steak, then your onions.
Heat and pour the nacho cheese sauce. Follow the directions on the package. I like to add a little milk to thin it out. Pour it over your onions and steak, then add your provolone slices on top.
Bake at 350°F. I like to place my bread boat on a wire rack in a baking pan or over a cookie sheet. Bake or grill until the bread is crisp and the cheese has melted and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Top, rest and cut. Top with diced jalapeños and allow it to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into servings. Serve with extra nacho cheese sauce.
The USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to a minimum of 145°F. Since we are shaving our steak thin and pan searing it, it will reach that temperature before we even get a crust on it, and then it bakes in the oven afterwards. If you want to serve steak with a sauce instead of cheese, check out my Steak Bites with Mashed Potatoes and Chimichurri.
Tips From Miguel
Use a steak with fat. Ribeye is best for this recipe. You want a good fat content on your steak to keep it moist through the sear and the bake. New York strip works too.
Slice your steak thin. You want it thin enough to cook quickly and get a crust on. You will also be able to cut your bread boat easier if your steak is thin.
The pan should be ripping hot. No oil if you have a seasoned pan. If your pan is dry, add a little oil to coat it. You just want it to have a sheen. Get your pan as hot as it can get before you add your steak.
Don’t move your steak too soon. Allow it to sit until it starts to look almost done and gets watery on top. Then toss. If you move it too early you will end up with a gray color and no crust.
Season after you sear. Salt pulls water out of the meat. By salting your steak after you get a crust on it, the crust forms quicker.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge: Store sliced bread boat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Not recommended. The bread goes soft and the cheese sauce separates.
- Reheat: 350°F in the oven on a wire rack until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. I would not reheat this in the microwave.
- Make ahead: You can make the steak and onions ahead of time. Refrigerate them until you are ready to build your bread boat, then layer and bake.
If you have the pan hot anyway, my French Dip Sandwich is the other sliced beef sandwich I reach for, with a cup of jus instead of a cup of cheese.
More Beef Recipes to Try
Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat FAQs
What type of steak should I use for a cheesesteak bread boat?
Thin sliced ribeye is ideal. You can use New York strip as well. I like ribeye for the fat content. Slice your steak as thin as possible. Placing it in the freezer for 20 minutes helps you slice it thinner.
Can I use cheese whiz instead of nacho cheese?
Yes. You can use cheese whiz or American cheese in place of the nacho cheese sauce. Just remember to keep provolone cheese on the top and bottom so the loaf still browns.
Can I make this on the grill?
Yes. Set the grill up for about 350°F. I like to set my bread boat on a wire rack in a baking dish. Close the lid and cook until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes. You pick up a little smoke that way.
How do I keep my bread boat from being soggy?
Remove as much of the inside of the bread as possible. Warm your nacho cheese sauce so it’s not sitting cold in the boat. Bake it on a wire rack so air flows under the bread. Allow it to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting.
Philly Cheesesteak Bread Boat
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice the steak as thin as possible and cut it into strips. Partially freezing it for 20 minutes makes thin slicing easier.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat until ripping hot. If the pan is completely dry, rub in just enough oil to give it a sheen. Add the steak in a single layer and leave it alone until the top turns watery and it is almost cooked through, then toss. Work in batches if needed.
- Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder or your steak seasoning, toss once more, and remove from the pan.
- Add a little olive oil to the same pan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden and caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat the oven or grill to 350°F. With a bread knife, cut the top off the baguette, just enough to open it. Pull the soft inside out by hand, leaving enough bread on the sides and bottom to hold the filling.
- Line the inside with provolone slices. Add the steak, then the onions. Warm the nacho cheese sauce per the package, thin it with a splash of milk if thick, and pour it over the onions and steak. Top with another layer of provolone.
- Set the loaf on a wire rack in a baking pan or over a sheet pan. Bake or grill at 350°F until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted and browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Top with diced jalapeños, rest 2 to 3 minutes, slice into portions and serve with extra warm nacho cheese sauce for dipping.
