I’m not a junk food eater, but put some veggies on a Chicken Philly Cheesesteak, and I’m in! While living in households where I am significantly outnumbered, like a lot to one, my cooking often reflects the male appetite. Perhaps their food choices have influenced much of what I cook and blog about, but it wouldn’t be here unless it was initially approved by them.

On whatscookingamerica.net , you can find a history of the Philadelphia Cheese Steak Its origins date back to the Olivieri brothers in the 1930’s in South Philly’s Italian immigrant section. Cheese wasn’t added to it until about 20 years later. Cheez Whiz was added in the 1960’s and even pizza sauce became an option. I’ve never had it with that. Would you?

Considering we have some picky eaters in the house, we chose to serve the toppings separately in a “make-you-own” bar setting. Cooking the toppings separately, all involved should be satisfied. The one thing we all agreed upon was Provolone cheese. Thank goodness for that! In Philly, Cheez Whiz is used on their famous authentic cheesesteaks and I’m not buying that stuff. They will also serve it with American or Provolone and with or without onions. Beyond that, feel free to add bell peppers or hot peppers. I like a little mayo on mine too!

Each addition was cooked separately to satisfy everyone’s tastes so they can personalize their own sandwich. I just did a few mushrooms because my husband and I are the only ones who desire them.

Onions are thinly sliced and cooked in a little olive oil with a pinch of sugar to assist with the caramelization of the onions.

Mini-bell peppers are stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced. Using the same pan, add a little more olive oil and cook them until softer and a bit golden. Remove them from the pan.

Place washed, dried, stemmed and thinly sliced Baby Bella mushrooms in the same skillet with butter. Cook until they are soft and slightly browned. Remove them from the pan.

These are all prepped, so let’s get the meat ready!

Still using the same skillet, place thinly sliced chicken breasts with olive oil and the butter. (Notice I started with thin sliced breasts already. It’s easier to slice the chicken breasts if they are slightly frozen.) You could even slice them thinner, if you want as real cheesesteaks use “shaved” meat. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Once cooked, you could add a little splash of white wine to help remove the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until it’s evaporated.

Separate into 4 separate piles. Place a lid over the top until cheese is melted over chicken. I put 2 slices of provolone on top of each. If you have smaller buns to fill, you could probably do 6 piles with about a slice and a half of cheese.

Now, we’re ready! I prefer to toast the rolls, which can be done prior to starting this whole process. Here’s a thought; I wonder how my garlic butter spread would taste on the rolls ? I can only imagine the added punch of flavor! I’ll have to try that next time before I start to toast them.

Here is a gallery of the variety of Chicken Philly Cheesesteaks served from plain, to layers of toppings. Of course, I had to include a hot pepper spread and a touch of mayo on mine. If you’re mouth is not watering after all of this, then perhaps you’re a vegetarian. 🙂 Scroll down to the bottom for the recipe!