Slow cooker Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are toasted hoagie rolls piled with tender sliced chuck roast, soft onions, peppers and mushrooms, and melted provolone. The beef is browned, then cooked low and slow in beef broth, French onion soup, Worcestershire and a splash of dark beer until a knife glides through it. One roast makes 10 big sandwiches, which is why this is a favorite for game day, graduation parties and busy weekends.
How to make slow cooker Philly cheesesteak sandwiches: Season a chuck roast and brown it on both sides. Put it in the slow cooker with beef broth, condensed French onion soup, Worcestershire sauce and dark beer. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding sliced onion, mushrooms and bell pepper for the last hour. Rest and slice the beef, then pile it onto buttered, toasted rolls with cheese and vegetables.
Why You’ll Love It
- It feeds a crowd. Ten sandwiches from one roast.
- Hands-off cooking. After the browning, the slow cooker does the work.
- Vegetables with some bite. They go in for the last hour only.
- Toasted rolls. Butter and a hot pan keep the bread from going soft.
- A dip on the side. The cooking liquid makes a rich dipping broth.
Ingredient Notes
Beef chuck roast. Four to 5 pounds. If it is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator before it goes in the slow cooker.
Canola oil, kosher salt and black pepper. For seasoning and browning the roast.
Beef broth and condensed French onion soup. One cup of broth and one 10.5-ounce can of soup make the cooking liquid.
Worcestershire sauce and dark beer. One tablespoon and 1/2 cup. They deepen the beef flavor.
Yellow onion, green bell pepper and crimini mushrooms. One onion and one pepper, sliced 1/4 inch thick, and 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms.
Hoagie rolls and butter. Ten rolls and 4 tablespoons of butter for toasting.
Provolone cheese. Sliced, for the sandwiches. A cheese sauce is the other classic choice.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can condensed French onion soup (10.5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup dark beer
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 10 hoagie rolls
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Provolone cheese, for the sandwiches
How to Make Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
1. Season the beef. Season the thawed chuck roast with the kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Brown the roast. Heat a large cast-iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil. When it is hot, brown the roast deeply for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
3. Fill the slow cooker. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, condensed French onion soup, Worcestershire sauce and dark beer.
4. Cook and add the vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Add the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper during the last hour, then replace the lid. The beef should be tender. Check the roast with a food thermometer for at least 145°F before you take it out.
5. Rest and slice. Let the roast rest for at least 3 minutes, then slice it against the grain with a sharp knife.
6. Toast and fill the rolls. Spread the butter on the cut sides of the hoagie rolls and toast them. Add the cheese, sliced beef and cooked vegetables. Let excess liquid drip from the filling before it goes onto the rolls.
7. Serve. If you like, skim the fat from some of the slow cooker liquid and serve the liquid on the side for dipping.
How Do You Keep the Rolls From Getting Soggy?
Slow-cooked beef comes out of the pot wet, and a soft roll soaks up liquid like a sponge. Three small habits keep the sandwich together from the first bite to the last.
| Habit | What to do | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Toast | Butter the cut sides of the rolls and toast them | Gives the bread a crisp, buttery surface |
| Drip | Lift the beef and vegetables with tongs and let the juices run off | Less liquid lands on the bread |
| Dip, do not pour | Serve skimmed cooking liquid in a small bowl on the side | Each person adds as much as they want |
| Fill to order | Build each sandwich just before it is eaten | The bread has no time to soften |
Putting the cheese on the roll first, then the hot beef, also helps. The cheese melts under the meat and sits between the filling and the bread.
If you like soft, steamy rolls instead, wrap the filled sandwiches in foil for a few minutes. For crisp bread, skip the foil.
Tips for Success
Why brown the roast first?
A deep brown crust adds a roasted flavor that a slow cooker cannot make by itself. Give each side its full 4 to 5 minutes.
When do the vegetables go in?
During the last hour. Added at the start, the onion, pepper and mushrooms would cook down to nothing.
How do I slice the beef?
Against the grain, with a sharp knife, after it has rested. Cutting across the grain gives short, tender slices.
What seasonings go on a Philly cheesesteak?
Here it is kept simple: kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper on the beef, with Worcestershire sauce and French onion soup in the pot.
Can the roast go in frozen?
No. Thaw it in the refrigerator first.
How Long Does It Take?
About 498 minutes from start to finish: 15 minutes of prep, 8 hours on low and a 3-minute rest. Start it in the morning and it is ready for dinner.
Storage & Reheating
Store the beef and vegetables apart from the rolls. Divide them into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove, in the microwave or in the oven to 165°F, not in the slow cooker, and toast fresh rolls.
What to Serve With It
Chips, fries or a simple slaw are all you need. If your family loves these flavors, try the Philly cheesesteak garlic bread, the Philly cheesesteak cheesy bread or Philly cheesesteak pasta. For weeknights, there are Philly cheese steak sloppy joes and a Philly cheese steak casserole. And for another hot sandwich, make fried bologna sandwiches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the rolls from getting soggy when filling them with slow-cooked beef?
Butter and toast the rolls, let the juices drip off the filling, and serve the cooking liquid on the side.
How do I cook steak in a slow cooker?
For these sandwiches, use a chuck roast. Brown it, then cook it on low for 8 hours in broth and onion soup, and slice it after a short rest.
What cheese goes on the sandwiches?
Provolone is the choice here. A cheese sauce also works.
What is the dipping liquid?
It is the liquid left in the slow cooker, with the fat skimmed off.
Final Notes
I set the rolls, cheese, beef and a small bowl of the broth out in a row, so everyone can build a sandwich while the bread is still warm. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
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Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds beef chuck roast thawed before slow cooking
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can condensed French onion soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup dark beer
- 1 yellow onion medium, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 10 hoagie rolls
- 4 tablespoons butter for the cut sides of the rolls
- provolone cheese for the sandwiches
Instructions
- Season the thawed chuck roast with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat a large cast-iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil. When it is hot, brown the roast deeply for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the roast to the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, condensed French onion soup, Worcestershire sauce and dark beer.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Add the onion, mushrooms and bell pepper during the last hour, then replace the lid. The beef should be tender. Check the roast with a food thermometer for at least 145°F before you take it out.
- Let the roast rest for at least 3 minutes, then slice it against the grain with a sharp knife.
- Spread the butter on the cut sides of the hoagie rolls and toast them. Add the cheese, sliced beef and cooked vegetables. Let excess liquid drip from the filling before it goes onto the rolls.
- If you like, skim the fat from some of the slow cooker liquid and serve the liquid on the side for dipping.
