Cheesesteaks

My first [and last] Cheesesteak I had in 2004 on a my first ever trip to Philly.  I went to Jim's Steaks and got the classic Cheesesteak with Cheesewhiz and onions.  It was a fantastic meal, but one you feel like you need a nap after.  Since then, I haven't eaten a cheesesteak and I can't figure out why - it combines my love for sandwiches, with cheese and meat.....so last night I decided I was going to make my own version of a Cheesesteak.  I used Swiss Cheese, Chuck Meat (cooked in my pressure cooker), Caramelized Onions, and Mushrooms.  Justin and I were little piggies and devoured these sandwiches - they were SO good....so now I share the goodness with you!

Sazzy Steaks

(this make 2 large hero-sized sandwiches) 

1 Baguette (cut in half to make two hero-sized sandwiches)

1 medium White Onion, chopped

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 lb. Cremini Mushrooms, chopped 

2 lbs. Chuck Roast

Water

Salt & Pepper

1/2 lb. Sliced Swiss Cheese (or any cheese of your choice!)

> Chop up your onion and mushrooms.  In a pot, heat up your Olive Oil and add in your onion on a medium heat.  Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently until they are almost caramelized.

 > In a separate saute pan, start to cook your mushrooms (add in a little splash of Olive Oil to keep them from sticking to the pan and burning).  The reason you want to cook the onion and mushrooms in separate pots is that mushrooms will give off a lot of water while you cook them and you don't want that to cause the onions to get all mushy and not caramelize.  Once your mushrooms have cooked down, drain out the water and mix the mushrooms into the pot of the caramelized onions.

 > Slice up your cheese (I used Swiss cheese because I like the salty bite it has, but you can use any cheese you like....Havarti, Cheddar, Muenster, etc.)

 > Lay your cheese down on your baguettes on a baking sheet.  Just before you're ready to assemble your sandwiches, you're going to pop these into the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes (or until your cheese is completely melted).

> Like I said I pressure cooked my meat for the simple reason that I bought Chuck Steak which can be a very tough cut of meat (but it's super cheap).  So I seasoned both sides of my meat with salt and pepper, and in a pressure cooker I added my 2lbs of Chuck, filled some water up 3/4 the way until it was almost covering the meat, and cooked it on high for 50 minutes. Just to add a little flavor, I added in a few sprigs of Tarragon while it was cooking - but you can leave that part out.  After 50 minutes of cooking, the meat just falls apart, nice and tender:

> Now you're ready to assemble - add your onion/mushroom mixture on top of your melted cheese baguettes, then top with a heaping layer of meat!

This sandwich is so easy to make and can be customized to your own flavor profile.  Try adding in different topping like peppers or different cheeses - add in lettuce or tomatoes - get creative! Also - if you have onion/mushrooms leftover, use them in an omelet the next morning! Like my mom always used to say, "waste not, want not!"