Turning Your Favorite Sandwich Into A Crowd-Pleasing Casserole Is Too Easy Not To Try

There is a lot to love about casseroles — the unofficial dish of the American Midwest. These tray bakes make excellent additions to parties of all kinds thanks to their size, and they can be customized with a myriad of starches, cheeses, proteins, and mix-ins. You may be familiar with some of the most classic casserole recipes, including the Thanksgiving favorite green bean casserole or a breakfast-appropriate French toast casserole or sausage strata. However, one of the best ways to give your casserole an edge is to seek inspiration from other iconic dishes — like Philly cheesesteak. 

As you can probably guess, this upgraded casserole includes onions, bell peppers, cheesesteak meat, and cheese — all of the components of a proper Philly cheesesteak. You can use noodles for your recipe for a classic casserole twist, or opt for a strata-style by cubing up rolls (really sells you on that whole cheesesteak experience), drying them out in your oven, and layering them in your dish with the cheesesteak essentials and savory custard.

This recipe is relatively easy to adapt and tweak depending on what ingredients you have available. If you don't have any shaved steak, for example, you can use ground beef. Cook it with the peppers and the onions until softened, then add cream cheese to make it decadent and finish the whole thing off with provolone cheese. You can take the same approach with pasta; cook pasta shells (or your favorite pasta shape) in beef stock to drive home the savory flavor, then layer your casserole with the beefy noodles, cooked beef, veggies, and provolone topping.

If you are planning to use shaved steak, ribeye is a great option because it's juicy, flavorful, and won't lose its moisture when baked into the cheesy casserole. Using pre-shaved steak will cut down on time, though you could also break down a whole ribeye yourself for this dish. Pair the thinly sliced beef with egg noodles for a hearty, Sunday supper.