Healthy Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are delicious, but not at all considered “healthy”… until now! This healthy Philly cheesesteak recipe delivers great taste, with less calories, and sodium.

(This post was originally published on August 10th, 2012. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)

What Makes This Philly Cheesesteak Healthy?

There’s a place in Pasadena that serves great Philly steak sandwiches. I’ve never been, but Sophie and Spencer sometimes go after a softball game with friends. Sophie brought the remains of her steak sandwich home one day, begging me to make it sometime.

I usually cringe at the thought of all the sodium, and calories in a Philly cheesesteak. But when you cook at home, it’s much easier to achieve a healthy meal since you are in control of all the ingredients.

My homemade, healthy Philly cheesesteak recipe still has all the best parts of a cheesesteak, but with far fewer calories.

I use plenty of peppers, mushrooms, onions, and spices to top off the healthy steak sandwich.

How Many Calories are in Philly Cheesesteak?

A cheesesteak that you get out will average 900 – 1500 calories! 

This healthy Philly cheesesteak recipe has 375 calories per serving – seems like nothing for a great tasting cheesesteak, right!?

If you really want to make it even healthier, you can substitute a low-carb roll!

Another fun twist for cheesesteak sandwiches is to substitute steak with chicken to make a chicken Philly cheesesteak sandwich!

How to Make a Cheesesteak Sandwich

I am not a fan of green bell peppers, nor are they of me, so I used red. Any bell pepper will work though. You can also use regular or portobello mushrooms.

I use a 12-ounce portion of flank steak, sliced across the grain into thin strips. Lightly season the steak with salt.

Start off by heating a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, and add the beef. Saute for 2 minutes or until it loses its pink color.

Remove the beef from the pan. Add remaining oil and onions and saute for a few more minutes.

Add mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute 6 minutes.

Return beef to the pan, stir, and let everything mix.

Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire and soy sauces.

How to Make Philly Cheesesteak Sauce

Place butter and flour in a small saucepan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add milk. Stir with a whisk until blended.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for a 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat. Add in provolone and parmesan cheeses and mustard, stirring until smooth.

Keep it warm, since it will thicken when it cools!

Finally, put the beef and vegetables on hollowed out rolls and top with a couple spoonfuls of cheese sauce. Because the provolone and parmesan cheeses are fairly strong in flavor, just a little goes a long way.

With the veggies, homemade Philly cheese sauce, and hoagie roll, it makes a hearty, low-calorie lunch or dinner option.

Serve the sandwiches with creamy coleslaw, potato salad, or  homemade crispy potato wedges or chips.

Healthier Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Cynthia

Recipe adapted from Cooking LIght magazine. See notes about reducing carb count.

4 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Course Main

Servings 4 people

Calories 375 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 12 ounces flank steak sliced across grain into thin strips.
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (3 ounces)
• 1 medium onion sliced thin
• 1 bell pepper sliced thin
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium sauce

Cheese sauce

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/2 cup milk 2 %
• 1 ounce provolone cheese grated
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 4 hoagie rolls toasted

Instructions

 

• Heat a large skillet over a medium high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon oil, swirl to coat pan. Add beef and sauté 2 minutes or until it loses its pink color. Remove beef from pan.
• Add remaining oil. Add onion, sauté 3 minutes, then add mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until veggies are tender. Return beef to pan, stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce

Cheese Sauce

• Place butter in a small saucepan over a medium low heat. When melted, add flour and stir about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat. Add in cheeses and mustard, stirring until smooth. Keep warm. It will thicken as it cools.

Assembling the cheesesteaks

• Hollow out top and bottom halves of rolls. Divide beef mixture evenly. Drizzle sauce over beef and replace top halves.

Notes

• To reduce the carbs, omit bun. Doing so will eliminate 120 calories and 22 grams of carbohydrates per sandwich.
• Hollow out the rolls to reduce carbs. 
• Substitute  low carb rolls.
• Many grocery stores sell very thin sliced beef in their meat section. No need to chill and cut at home. 
• While green bell peppers are traditional, any color bell pepper will work!

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 375kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 27gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 592mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1152IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 3mg

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