Philly Mac & Cheese Steak

Philly cheesesteaks and mac and cheese both belong to that category of comfort food that you almost never regret eating.

Even when you know that you already capped out your calorie counter for the day.

There’s just something about hot steak, melted cheese, and pasta that overrides common sense for a little while.

Now, purists will probably hate on this recipe a little bit.

A traditional Philly cheesesteak is usually pretty simple. Thin sliced steak, onions, cheese, and bread.

But once you decide to turn it into a one-pot mac and cheese, you’ve already crossed into comfort food territory anyway, so I leaned into it a little harder with mushrooms and sweet bell peppers.

The result is rich, creamy, cheesy, and exactly the kind of meal that tastes like it should cost too much at a sports bar.

The pasta cooks directly in beef broth and cream while provolone melts down into the sauce and coats every bite of steak, onions, peppers, and mushrooms. It’s heavy in the best possible way and the kind of dinner that makes you want a second bowl even when you know that you shouldn’t.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• 1 garlic clove (minced)

• 1 medium yellow onion (sliced)

• 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced)

• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)

• 1 orange bell pepper (sliced)

• 1 lb skirt steak (sliced thin)

• 1 cup white mushrooms (sliced)

• 3 ½ cups beef broth

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 8-10 ounces macaroni pasta

• 4 or more slices of provolone cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil.

2. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced skirt steak and cook until browned and fully cooked through. Remove the steak from the pot and set to aside.

3. Add the mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers to the same pot and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. Once coked down, transfer the vegetables to the same bowl as the steak.

4. Pour the beef broth into the pot and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen all of the browned bits left behind from the steak and the vegetbles.

5. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.

6. Add the uncooked macaroni directly into the broth and cream mixture. Cover and cook until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to keep everything from sticking. If needed, add a splash of extra broth while the pasta cooks.

7. Lower the heat and stir in the provolone cheese until completely melted and smooth.

8. Return the steak, peppers, onions, and mushrooms back to the pot and stir everything together until fully coated in the sauce.

9. Serve hot with extra provolone on top if you really want to lean into the cheesesteak side of things.

This probably isn’t the meal you make when you’re trying to eat clean, but not every dinner is supposed to taste responsible.

Sometimes you just need steak, pasta, melted cheese, and a Dutch oven full of bad decisions.

Purists can argue about whether this counts as a real Philly cheesesteak, I’ll be over here with a second bowl anyway.