Philly Cheesesteak Casserole Recipe
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole is made with ground beef, bell peppers, shell pasta, minced garlic, and baked to perfection in a creamy, and delicious cheese sauce! An easy and dinner that is ready in 30 minutes!
Casseroles are one of my favorite dishes to make. They are easy to assemble, great to feed a large family, and leftovers are delicious! You can pair this recipe with Crispy Onion Rings, Smashed Potatoes, or Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries.
Easy Philly Cheese Steak Casserole
This Philly Cheesesteak Casserole is the ultimate comfort food that packs all the sandwich flavors into a simple casserole. It has all the familiar tastes you love such as ground beef, bell peppers, onion, and minced garlic, but baked in a delicious pasta casserole and extra loaded with cheese.
I already have an Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Recipe for those who love cooking in the Instant Pot. But in this oven-baked version, I tweaked the ingredients a bit to resemble the original and authentic flavors, while skipping the buns. The shell pasta really absorbs the beef and the rest of the ingredients well, and the melted cheese adds so much creaminess to it.
You can adjust and swap some of the ingredients and customize them based on your own taste. For example, lean-ground beef can be swapped with sausage, or add other veggies such as mushrooms. This is truly a super simple and delicious meal for a large family to enjoy. And the best part, it is ready in about 30 minutes.
What is Philly Cheesesteak Casserole?
It is basically taking the same flavors and ingredients as the classic and iconic sandwich, but without the buns, and then it puts it into a baking dish form.
Ingredients needed:
For the exact ingredient measures, check out the recipe card below. Here is what you will need:
- Ground beef – Try using good-quality lean ground beef, preferably organic.
- Pasta – Small shell pasta is the best choice here because it absorbs well the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively, you can go with macaroni or elbow pasta. All work well here.
- Veggies – Bell pepper is a must for a truly authentic experience! Also, freshly minced garlic adds quite a lot of flavor so I highly recommend using it.
- Seasoning – Kosher salt, ground black pepper, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika.
- Broth – I like using homemade Chicken Stock or beef broth. Also, feel free to use the store-bought type. Just ensure to use the reduced-sodium version, so you can control the saltiness.
- Cheese – For a creamier texture you will want to incorporate cream and cream cheese. Also, provolone cheese both shredded and sliced is used here.
How to make the best Philly Cheesesteak Casserole Recipe?
- Cook the pasta: First, boil the pasta according to package instructions. Cook it al-dente because it will go into the oven as well. Drain, and set aside.
- Saute the meat: In a skillet, add the minced garlic and cook it for about 30 seconds. Next, add the meat, and brown the ground beef over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper.
- Add the veggies: Once the meat is browned, then add the sliced veggies to it and saute for about 5 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning and paprika.
- Add the cheeses: Next, mix in the cream cheese, cream, and chicken stock. Stir gently together until all is combined. Then, stir in the cheese and the cooked pasta.
- Bake: Lastly, transfer everything to a 9 by 13 casserole dish, and back it for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or green onion, and serve warm.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions:
- Low Carb: To make it low-carb or keto-friendly, skip the pasta. Or, turn this into a Low Carb Philly Cheesecake Stuffed Zucchini Boats.
- Other meats: Swap the beef with steak, ground sausage, pork, chicken, or even turkey.
- More Veggies: Feel free to incorporate more vegetables into the mix. Starting from sliced mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
- Seasoning: Use your favorite seasonings here. Some great alternatives would be ranch seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
- Spicy: To add some heat to it, simply chop in some jalapeno peppers.
- Cheese: Although the classic version calls for provolone cheese, you can use other types as well. For example, parmesan, cheddar, or mozzarella are great alternatives as well.
What to serve with Philly Cheese Steak Casserole?
This is a full and filling meal on its own, so you can easily serve it as is. However, it also goes well with the following sides:
How to store it?
Make ahead: Assemble the dish according to the recipe steps below. Then, refrigerate it in a baking dish for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, simply pop it in the oven and bake according to the instructions.
To store leftovers: First, let the leftovers completely cool down. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
More casserole dishes to try:
Recipe Tips:
- For a creamier texture, use more cream cheese. Also, your extra provolone cheese.
- Other pasta types can be used here. Just go with what you have on hand and like the most.
- I highly recommend using organic, and lean ground beef for this meal.
- To double the recipe, simply double the ingredients and follow the same steps. In addition, you might use a larger baking dish, or cook in two different dishes.
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 3 cups shell pasta small or medium
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bell peppers sliced into thin strips - green, yellow and red
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded Provolone cheese
- 8 slices Provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta per package directions aiming for al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the beef. Using a wooden spoon, break it down and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned well.
- Add the sliced bell peppers and onion to the pan. Add Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and minced garlic. Saute for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the cream cheese, heavy cream and broth. Stir together until smooth and the cream cheese is melted.
- Stir in 2 cups of the shredded Provolone cheese and the cooked pasta.
- Light spray with cooking spray a 9x13 baking dish.
- Transfer the mixture to it and top it with the remaining provolone cheese slices.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with a freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Nutrition
