So I’ve seen recipes for Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers circulating around the internet for years. All of them, however, asked for shaved meat or thinly sliced steak. I tried the steak dish long before I started this blog, and I didn’t like for it. It was in desperate need of a sauce and additional taste. It specified that the steak be cooked on the stove before being baked. That beef, on the other hand, was far too dry for us. I’m not knocking those recipes; if you’ve tried them and liked them, keep them.
I decided that my version of Philly Cheese Style Stuffed Peppers would have a few key differences: I’d use a savory creamy sauce to tie the meat, mushrooms, peppers, and onions together; I’d hide the mushrooms as much as possible while preserving all of the added flavor (if you’ve been following along for a while, you probably already know that mushrooms and I aren’t best friends…); and finally, I’d call them Philly Cheese Style Stuffed Peppers. Because we all know ground beef isn’t steak, there’s no way around it, and I’m not going to pretend it is. But believe me when I say that it works wonders in this recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound extra lean ground beef (raw), 95 percent lean
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
8 oz. white mushrooms, minced
1 medium sliced red onion
4 bell peppers, medium 1 pepper, chopped, and 3 peppers, cut in half and seeds removed
2 tbsp white all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth 1/4 cup is set aside for later.
Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp
1 tablespoon Frank’s spicy sauce (I use Frank’s)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s all-purpose seasoned salt
2 oz cream cheese (light)
to flavor with kosher salt and pepper
I like to use olive oil or avocado oil as a cooking spray.
2/3 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese prepared with 2% milk
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Season ground beef with a pinch or two of kosher salt and pepper in a large pan over medium heat. Continue to fry until browned, breaking up with a spatula. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
Add olive oil, sliced onion, mushrooms, and peppers to the same skillet. While they’re cooking, season them with kosher salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 3 minutes, or until the mixture is soft.
Return the meat to the skillet, along with the onions, mushrooms, and peppers. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and dust with flour. Stir for about 30 seconds to coat the mixture.
1 cup beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, spicy sauce, oregano, seasoned salt, and cream cheese should be added at this point. Stir everything together until it’s all blended and the cheese has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 peppers, halved lengthwise, cleaned of seeds and other debris, sprayed with cooking spray, and seasoned with salt and pepper Pour 1/4 cup beef stock into a 9×13 baking dish, then lay pepper halves inside.
Fill each pepper half halfway with the Philly Cheese mixture (about 2/3 cup), sprinkle with shredded cheese equally, then coat the cheesy tops with cooking spray. Using tin foil, cover the dish.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes, covered. Cover and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is gently browned. Enjoy!
