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My philly cheesesteak dip is the richest, cheesiest dip I make. Mozzarella and provolone melt together and brown on top, and underneath it is warm, creamy and loaded with steak and peppers. You get the whole cheesesteak in every scoop.
Cheesesteak dip is a cold weather recipe for me. It comes out when football starts and stays in the rotation through the Super Bowl. I do not make it again until fall.
Most hot cheese dips are mostly cheese with a little meat stirred through. I built this one the other way around, so the steak leads and the cheese holds it together. The provolone goes on in slices over the whole top for that reason, instead of getting shredded into the base.
If cheesesteak is your thing, I have a few more. My philly cheesesteak sliders are the handheld version, and crockpot philly cheesesteak is the slow cooker version.
GAME DAY GO-TO
I Make This When I Want the Appetizer to Count
This is steak, peppers and onions under a full sheet of melted mozzarella and provolone. I put it out as the one hot thing on the table and let the chips and the cold stuff fill in around it. Set out a basket of good bread and you are done.
What to Buy and What to Ask For
- Shaved steak: Look for it prepackaged in the meat case. If your store does not carry it, ask the butcher to shave a ribeye, top sirloin or strip steak for you. Rare deli roast beef, shaved thin, works as a substitute and cooks through faster. I will also use browned ground beef in a pinch.
- Cream cheese: Use it full fat and let it come to room temperature on the counter first. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps you can still see in the finished dip, and it is the only thing in this recipe that needs any planning ahead.
- Mozzarella: Shred it off a block instead of buying it pre-shredded. Hand shredded mozzarella melts more smoothly. Most of it goes into the base and the rest gets sprinkled on top before the provolone.
- Provolone: Ask the deli for non-smoked, sliced thin. The recipe calls for non-smoked specifically, so do not let them hand you the smoked by default.
- Green bell pepper: Green is what goes in a classic cheesesteak, so that is what I use. Any color works here. Orange and red are milder and sweeter if that is what you have.
See the recipe card for the full ingredient list and quantities.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak Dip
If your skillet is not oven safe, cook everything on the stove exactly the same way and move it to a baking dish before the cheese goes on. It does not have to be cast iron.
Step 1: Cook the Peppers and Onions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the onion, pepper, and garlic until tender. Move them out to a plate.
Step 2: Brown the Shaved Steak
Add the remaining oil and the shaved steak to the same skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no pink remains, breaking it apart as it goes. Turn off the heat and stir the vegetables back in.
Step 3: Beat the Base and Stir It In
Beat the cream cheese smooth, then beat in the sour cream and mayonnaise until no lumps are left. Fold in most of the mozzarella, stir it all into the skillet, and spread it level.
Step 4: Top With Cheese
Scatter the rest of the mozzarella over the top, then lay the provolone slices across the whole surface.
Step 5: Bake It
Bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned, then let it sit five minutes before serving.
Make It Ahead and Store the Leftovers
Make ahead: Build the whole thing up to the point where it would go in the oven, cover it, and keep it in the fridge. Bake it off when people arrive.
Fridge: Let it cool to room temperature, then move the leftovers to an airtight container. It keeps three to four days.
Freezer: Freezing changes the texture of a cream cheese base, so it is not my first choice. If you want to do it anyway, cool it completely and freeze it airtight for one to two months.
Reheating: An oven safe dish covered with foil at 350 gets it back to where it was in about 15 to 20 minutes. The microwave is faster but the cheese can go oily, so go in short bursts. A splash of cream or milk loosens it if it has tightened up.
More Game Day Dips
Philly Cheesesteak Dip
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided, 1 tablespoon to cook vegetables and 1 tablespoon to cook the shaved steak meat
- ¾ cup small diced sweet yellow onion vidalia
- ¾ cup small diced green bell pepper seeds and veins removed
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 12 ounces package (¾ pound) shaved steak beef rib eye, top sirloin or strip steak
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2½ cups (from an 8 ounce block) shredded mozzarella cheese divided 1 ½ cups mixed into the dip and 1 cup sprinkled on top before baking
- 6 deli slices non-smoked provolone cheese sliced thin
Optional Dippers
- Crustini homemade or store bought
- Fresh baguette slices
- Pita chips
- Hearty crackers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- While the oven is preheating, heat a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- To the hot skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced sweet yellow onion, diced green bell pepper and minced garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes or just until the vegetables are tender and the garlic is fragrant.1 tablespoons Olive oil, ¾ cup small diced sweet yellow onion, ¾ cup small diced green bell pepper, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to a plate and set aside.
- To the hot skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and shaved steak beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the shaved beef for 5-6 minutes, being sure to break apart the beef into smaller pieces, until browned and no pink remains. Turn off the heat to the skillet.1 tablespoons Olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, 12 ounces package (¾ pound) shaved steak beef , ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- To the skillet with the browned shaved beef, add the cooked vegetables and stir to evenly combine.
- To a medium bowl beat the cream cheese, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, until smooth and creamy.8 ounces cream cheese
- Add the sour cream and mayonnaise to the bowl and beat again just until fully combined and no lumps remain.¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise
- Fold in 1 ½ cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese until evenly distributed.1.5 cups (from an 8 ounce block) shredded mozzarella cheese
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the skillet with the browned beef and vegetables. Stir to combine, being sure not to break apart the browned beef too much. Spread to an even layer.
- Top the philly cheesesteak dip with the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.1 cups (from an 8 ounce block) shredded mozzarella cheese
- Place the slices of provolone cheese in a single layer over the entire surface of the philly cheesesteak dip.6 deli slices non-smoked provolone cheese
- Place the skillet of philly cheesesteak dip into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly browned.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the dip to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- Start with full fat cream cheese at room temperature and beat it smooth before the sour cream and mayonnaise go in.
- Shred the mozzarella off a block. Hand shredded melts more smoothly than pre-shredded.
- Cook the peppers and onions first and take them out before you brown the beef. Everything goes back together at the end.
- Let it rest five minutes out of the oven. It stays hot and it is much easier to scoop.
