Philly Cheesesteak-Ify Your Baked Potatoes And You'll Never Want Them Another Way

Forget chives and butter. What your baked potatoes really need is a Philly cheesesteak twist. Born on a street corner in Philadelphia, the next-level sandwich has long encapsulated the city's vivacious essence with its bold, intense flavors. Now, just imagine that same greatness crowning steaming hot, fresh-off-the-oven potatoes. No longer is the starchy base just predictably creamy and boring. The dish's overflow of cheese-smothered meat and veggies ensures that it arrives at your table dressed in the finest flavors.

Juicy steak strips, bell peppers, and onions are for sure one of the more unexpected toppings to level up your baked potatoes, but that's hardly a deal-breaker. After a few forkfuls, you'd almost forget their original home is an Amoroso roll. Savory, smoky, and earthy notes are tied together by the melted cheese's tangy richness and the oven's warmth. As they sink into the potatoes' mushy soft, often one-note base, the humble side dish takes on the same flavor complexity that makes the sandwich so beloved in the first place. At the core, you can still find that familiar coziness baked potatoes often offer, elevated by the cheesesteak's indulgent bites.

The thought of having to simultaneously cook two different dishes seems quite daunting, but it's actually not as arduous as you'd think. While the potato is baking in the oven, you can take the time to quickly sauté the steak strips and the veggies. Once both components are prepared, all that's left to do is slice open the potato, spoon the fillings into it, top with cheese, and broil for a few minutes. And yes, this also works with twice-baked potatoes. It would only require the extra step of scooping out the potato flesh after the first bake and mixing it with the Philly cheesesteak filling. You can even whip up your own cheese sauce from different melted cheese varieties to enhance the dish's most indulgent element.

There are always some truly delicious ways to hack your Philly cheesesteak. Without overthinking the process, you can simply add more veggies to the mix. Go with mushrooms for earthy pops of flavor, jalapeño peppers to crank up the heat, or even inject some sweet depth with caramelized shallots. Got some chili cooking on the stove? Add some spoonfuls into the filling and taste the smoky warmth it laces into the dish. Knowing just how well chimichurri works with steak, it's no surprise it can give your baked potatoes the herby finish that no one expects to find. Elevate the cheesesteak each time you make this dish and find yourself with even more phenomenal baked potatoes.