A Steak Grilled Cheese is an easy, yet indulgent dinner that combines a classic Philly cheesesteak with a simple grilled cheese sandwich into one flavorful celebration of comfort food. It takes only 15 minutes to stuff sliced steak, cheese, and onion between buttery bread, then it’s perfectly pan-fried to create a delicious gourmet, grown-up grilled cheese!
Simply Grown-Up Steak Grilled Cheese
This Steak Grilled Cheese recipe is the ultimate mouthwatering mashup of Philly’s famous hoagy combined with the standard childhood staple. My grilled cheese variation of the time-honored classic has all of the delicious flavors of a cheesesteak sandwich, but prepared with a simple twist to make an adult grilled cheese sandwich.
I decided to downsize my layers and make it on thin slices of bread instead of a big bulky roll so that it would be easier for eating and I wouldn’t have to maneuver all the steak, cheese, and onion into my mouth!
While this change may seem small, it makes a huge difference–each bite is filled with buttery, gooey, and warm grilled cheese comforts that’s been stuffed with cooked flank steak and caramelized onions–it transforms a simple grilled cheese into a dressed-up, between-the-bread, fit-for-a-foodie creation.
With its crunchy, crispy, golden exterior and ooey, gooey melted interior, this Steak Grilled Cheese recipe is my favorite way to merge my two favorite meals into one delicious bite! It is so easy to help your grilled cheese grow up by starting with the signature bread, cheese, and butter ingredients and stacking them with your favorite fun additions. With a little creativity, your simple sandwich can mature into an adult-worthy meal.
Why We Love This Steak Grilled Cheese Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Takes a simple sandwich recipe and makes it gourmet adult grilled cheese.
- Delicious combination of a grilled cheese and a cheesesteak into one flavorful sandwich creation.
- Crispy, crunchy outside with a warm and melty inside.
- Perfect to serve as a snack, a lunchtime meal, or a satisfying supper for the whole family.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Patio or flank steak
- Sweet yellow onion
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salted sweet cream butter
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Sliced bread: I used Italian bread for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite type.
- Freshly grated mozzarella cheese
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Cheese: I use mozzarella cheese in this recipe but you can choose any another flavorful cheese you prefer. Provolone, Fontina, American, sharp white cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere are some other options that taste great with steak and adds a nice flavor.
- Mix Up The Meat: This Steak Grilled Cheese sandwich recipe uses thinly-sliced flank steak, just like the original, but you can substitute that with thinly sliced chicken or turkey.
- Steak for Sandwiches: Don’t waste your good steaks on sandwiches! Use marinated hanger steak or skirt steak if you prefer those over flank steak. All these options are great on a sandwich because they nice and tender.
- Bread: My recipe uses Italian bread slices, but you can use any kind of sliced bread for these sandwiches. Sliced artisan breads are great, but so is your standard run-of-the-mill white bread, rye, multigrain, potato bread, and sourdough.
- Veggies: Feel free to include some vegetables. You can add arugula, spinach, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or any of your favorites.
- Add Some Spice: You can spread a thin layer of horseradish sauce or stone ground mustard to the unbuttered side of the bread for a spicy kick.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- 10-12 inch non-stick skillet
- Cheese grate
- Measuring tools
- Sharp knife
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How to Make Steak Grilled Cheese
This simple Steak Grilled Cheese recipe combines my favorite foods, Philly cheesesteak and grilled cheese, into one delicious handheld creation. It is so easy to elevate the basic bread, butter and cheese sandwich into a grown-up meal by adding onion and steak into the middle!
- Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and black pepper and set it aside.
- Add extra virgin olive oil and butter to a skillet and melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add onion to the melted butter.
Pro-Tip: You can add thinly sliced fresh mushrooms while you are cooking the onions for an added twist. - Sprinkle the onions with salt and black pepper and cook until golden.
Pro Tip: Make sure you are stirring frequently. It should take 5-7 minutes for the onions to turn golden.
- Remove the cooked onions from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the seasoned steak to the hot skillet and cook 3-4 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
- Remove the steak from the skillet and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: Remove the skillet from the heat and wipe it out. - Thinly slice the rested steak and evenly divide into 4 portions.
- Butter 1 side of each piece of bread.
- Lay 4 of the slices of bread, butter side down, in the skillet BEFORE you return it to the heat.
Pro-Tip: Be sure to butter the outer sides of both slices of bread to guarantee a deliciously golden-brown, crunchy exterior. - Layer cheese and steak on each slice of bread.
- Add onion and another layer of cheese.
- Cover with a slice of buttered bread.
- Once all 4 sandwiches are assembled, heat the skillet to medium-high heat.
Pro Tip: Keep a close eye on the temperature, and adjust up or down to avoid burning the sandwiches. - Flip each sandwich over once the bottoms turn golden brown.
- Remove the sandwiches from the skillet and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Tips
- This sandwich can be made using leftover steak. Thinly slice the cold steak. Cook the onions as you would for the recipe, and add in to warm the steak.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to overnight.
- To Reheat: Reheat your sandwich in the skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using a flank steak or patio steak for this recipe, which are both lean but very tender when cut against the grain. A hanger or skirt steak are other great options. They are rich and full with a hearty, beefy flavor, similar to that of a ribeye, but without the price tag. If you prefer to use a ribeye steak, it will also be delicious because it is well-marbled and tender when cooked.
Feel free to use whatever bread you have in your pantry. You do not need to use fancy, crusty bread to make a delicious Steak Grilled Cheese! In fact, regular, soft, white bread will crisp up beautifully in the skillet and make a toasty, crispy sandwich.
Regular yellow onions are the preferred ones to use to make caramelized onions. They provide the best-balanced flavor – assertive sharpness and mild sweetness which is exponentially enhanced as the onions caramelize in melted butter.
Other Easy Sandwich Recipes
- Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Sandwich
- DIY Uncrustable Sandwiches
- Grilled Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich
- Pulled Crockpot BBQ Chicken Recipe
- Spinach and Artichoke Grilled Cheese
- Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese
- Caprese Grilled Cheese
Steak Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounce patio – or – flank steak
- 1¼ cup thinly sliced sweet yellow onion
- 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp salted sweet cream butter
- 1½ tsp kosher salt (divided 1 teaspoon and ½ teaspoon)
- 1½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper (divided 1 teaspoon and ½ teaspoon)
- 8 slices bread (your favorite type – I used italian bread)
- 2 tbsp salted sweet cream butter softened
- 2¾ cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Evenly sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper on both sides of the steak. Set it aside.
- Using a 10 – 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil and the tablespoon of butter.
- Once the butter melts, add in the thinly sliced onion.
- Sprinkle the onions with the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until golden. Remove the onions from the skillet, and set it aside.
- Keep the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the seasoned steak. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes per side. Remove the steak from the skillet and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. (Remove the skillet from the heat and wipe out the skillet)
- Once the steak has rested, thinly slice the steak. Evenly divide the steak into 4.
- Butter 1 side of each piece of bread.
- Before returning the skillet to the heat, lay 4 of the slices of bread, butter side down.
- Layer ⅓ cup of the shredded cheese, thinly sliced steak and cooked onions.
- Top with ⅓ cup of the shredded cheese and the top slice of buttered bread.
- Once all 4 sandwiches are assembled, heat the skillet to medium-high heat. (Keep a close eye on the temperature, and adjust up or down to avoid burning the sandwich)
- Once the bottom of the sandwich is golden, carefully flip the sandwich over. Remove the sandwich from the skillet and serve immediately.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to overnight.
- To Reheat: Reheat your sandwich in the skillet.
- Be sure to butter the outer sides of both slices of bread to guarantee a deliciously golden-brown, crunchy exterior.
- This sandwich can be made using leftover steak. Thinly slice the cold steak. Cook the onions as you would for the recipe, and add in to warm the steak.
- You can add thinly sliced fresh mushrooms while you are cooking the onions for an added twist.
- You can spread a thin layer of horseradish sauce or stone ground mustard to the unbuttered side of the bread for a spicy kick.
