Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers

These super gooey cheesesteak peppers are perfectly portioned for family dinner. Now, in all fairness you could totally just bypass the peppers and pack a hoagie roll full of beef, cheese, peppers, onions, and a touch of mayo and it would also be AMAZING. The method for cooking up the beef would be the same but I would double the beef. You can fit a lot more beef on a sandwich than in a bell pepper. Traditionally, cheesesteak beef is very mildly seasoned but I like a little something going on with the spices.. get creative and enjoy!

The Supply List

• 1lb Wild Earth Steak - Sirloin flap, Skirt Steak, Flank, Top Sirloin, or even Rib-eye!
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced thin
• 1 Green bell pepper, sliced (more if you're going the sandwich route)
• 4 Large Bells for stuffing, yellow, red or orange  plate well and add extra sweetness. Look for nice flat bottoms
• Cheese: 8 Slices provolone, 8oz sharp cheddar shredded or crumbled (minimum)
• 2-3 T high heat oil like sunflower or organic canola + 1 T butter
• Flakey salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

The Steps

Prepare the beef:  While frozen, slice the beef very thinly (less than 1/4in) across the grain. This is easily done withe the thinner cuts of meat and a heavy serrated knife. Slicing the beef while frozen will make it SO much easier to get clean thin slices. Set aside to thaw. 

Preheat the oven to 350*, 

Stovetop: Add the oil to a heavy bottom skillet and heat to high. Coat beef with salt, pepper, garlic and onion. When the oil is shimmering, sear the beef in batches as not to crowd the pan, stirring with tongs. It will cook fairly quickly. Remove to a bowl when edges have crisped. Continue until all the beef is cooked.

Turn pan down to medium heat, add the onions and peppers, stirring frequently with a spatula (2-3min) add in butter and saute until onions turn translucent. Set aside.

 Assembly: Prepare the peppers by cutting the stem section out and removing the seeds. Place upright in a small casserole dish, packed tight enough to keep them upright. Layer in beef, onion/pepper mixture, and cheese.. packing tightly and repeating until the peppers are full. Top each with a slice of provolone and place in the oven. Since the stuffing is already cooked, the oven time is to cook the bell pepper, meld the flavors, and of course melt the cheese!

Set the timer for 20 minutes and start to check for done-ness by piercing the pepper with a fork.. total time will depend on the thickness of the pepper wall. You're looking for "cooked, but holds together well". If the cheese if browning to quickly, tent with aluminium foil.

Serving: I'm a pretty saucy lady, aka I like a good sauce on my food sometimes haha. I had a spicy garlic aioli on hand and it went really well with all the cheese and peppers.