I might have added a tiny bit more cheese than this recipe calls for. But heck– we are a cheese-loving family, and we wanted these cheesesteak sandwiches to be true to their name! Do it!
This recipe comes from a new cookbook by my good friend Mary Younkin: The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Home-Cooked Meals for Busy Families. Now I know the cookbook is all about lunches and breakfast… but all of the lunch recipes in the book happen to be perfect, quick and easy dinner ideas too. That’s what I love about it! Another thing to love about this book is that there is a pretty color photo included for every single recipe.
Here are some of the recipes I’ve bookmarked to make for breakfast:
Breakfast Carbonara (pasta for breakfast- I love this idea– why not??!!!) Cheesy Egg French Bread Breakfast Pizza (pizza for breakfast is always a good choice) Scrambled Sausage and Egg Sliders (fun brunch party food!) Grandma’s Waffles with Waffle Sauce (because I need to try the sauce!)
And here are some delicious lunch and dinner recipes I look forward to making:
Korean Turkey “Lettuce Wrap” Salad (because I’m obsessed with lettuce wraps) Cheesy Green Chile Chicken (always good to have new chicken recipes on hand) Best Taco Meat (zero points on the Weight Watchers Freestyle plan!) Sticky Pineapple Chicken and Pepper Stir-Fry (my family would love this for dinner)
This is another good cookbook to keep on hand for easy, family-friendly recipes.
How to Make Cajun Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Well, you’ll need either flank or skirt steak. I love skirt steak like there’s no tomorrow… but I prefer to use flank when I’m making cheesesteak sandwiches. You’ll take a sharp knife and cut against the grain on the steak to give you very thin slices. The steak is tossed with a bit of Cajun seasoning.
How to Make Cajun Seasoning
Yes, you can make your own! Mary’s cookbook includes this recipe: (makes 1/4 cup) 1 tablespoon smoked or plain paprika + 1 tablespoon garlic powder + 2 teaspoons kosher salt + 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper + 2 teaspoons onion powder + 2 teaspoons crushed oregano + 2 teaspoons crushed thyme + 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. You’ll only need 1 1/2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning, but you can use the rest in other recipes – like burgers, steaks, chicken or potatoes.
You’ll quick-fry the seasoned steak in a hot skillet. It’s cut so thinly that it will be done in just a couple of minutes. After cooking, a tablespoon of melted butter is tossed with the steak. It kind of brings it all together.
Pile the steak on some French rolls (this recipe makes four sandwiches).
Top with shredded pepper Jack cheese. As I mentioned before, I like to pile on a little bit more than the recipe calls for. If you’re afraid that the pepper Jack cheese might be too spicy for your crowd, go ahead and sub regular Jack cheese. My family didn’t think it was too spicy (and we’re not really all that into spicy things), but if you’re worried then go ahead and sub.
A quick broil in the oven, and these Cajun Cheesesteak Sandwiches are ready to eat.
I know that cheesesteak purists will tell me that we should be using cheese whiz here. This is a twist on the classic Philly Cheesesteak, so you won’t find cheese whiz here! And you can certainly add in sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions if you enjoy that on a classic too. My family loves these as they are! If you like these sandwiches, you may also enjoy my Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches or RecipeBoy’s Chicken Cheese Steak Sandwiches. And these Ground Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese Sandwiches look quite amazing too.
