Leftover Filet Mignon Turned Cheese Steak Sandwich

Sunday night we were still eating leftovers. Thankfully all that was left were the two filets we didn’t eat the night before during our surf-and-turf pig out. Shortly after breakfast yesterday morning, BF and I began discussing what to do with our filet leftovers in the fridge. I perused the Internet and came up with a few ideas: filet mignon chili, steak quesadillas, steak fajitas or steak tacos? Nothing really jumped at us until I came across a recipe for Russell’s Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich.

ingredients.

• ¼ bell pepper (optional)
• ⅛ medium yellow onion
• 2 T. olive oil
• 4 to 5 oz leftover steak
• ⅓ c. shredded provolone cheese
• 1 small French baguette (6 to 7 inches long)

directions.

1. Cut section of yellow onion into 1/4″ x 3″ Julienne pieces. Slice 3 or 4 mushrooms (per sandwich).
2. Place 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan set on medium heat. Once hot, cook the mushrooms and onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Push to the side of the pan.
3. Slice the baguette in half horizontally and heat in a panini press, George Foreman grill or in the oven at 400 degrees.
4. Add additional 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and increase heat to medium high. Slice the cold leftover steak very thin, then sear very quickly in the pan on each side for 30 seconds. 
5. Stack the steak in the pan with the mushrooms and onions, then top with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan to melt the cheese. 
6. Place on the roll on a plate then stack the meat with the melted cheese on top of the bottom piece of baguette. 
7. Cover with the other half of the roll, cut and serve.

It’s not often that BF and I follow recipe directions to a T — normally we adapt them to our tastes. For our filet cheese steak sandwiches, we added sliced mushroom (what kind of respectable Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich doesn’t have mushrooms?). Also BF sautéed everything in butter instead of olive oil. (Remember: there’s no such thing as too much butter.) Because I’ve never seen provolone cheese sold in brick form or shredded, I had no choice but to buy sliced provolone cheese instead. There’s no edible difference.

BF says some people like to saute veggies in vegetable oil because they think it doesn’t change the flavor of the veggies; and some people like to use butter because it enhances the flavor. (Obviously you know what camp we fall into.)

After sauteing the veggies, BF cut the filet lengthwise into strips.

The filet strips can be sautéed until desired done-ness — BF sautéed ours to a medium or medium-well. The bread we used for the sandwiches is the same bread we used last time we were using George to press sandwiches, the French baguettes from Albertson’s grocery store. After splitting them open, I slathered mine with mayonnaise on the bottom half, butter on top (I slathered BF’s with French mustard on both halves); then BF layered the sandwich: meat, veggies, two slices of provolone cheese; and we slid them into the George Foreman to press the sandwich and melt the cheese.

Maybe it was the steak we used or the fact that my sandwich was slathered in mayo and butter or the fresh taste of the French baguette — or maybe it was all three … the first bite of my sandwich was a flavor explosion. It was by far the best Philly Cheese Steak sandwich I’ve ever had (and neither BF or I have ever attempted to make a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich before). Again we were amazed at the yumminess of our cooking creation (and at having found a great way to use leftover filet mignon — not that we really ever have leftover filet!).

Recipe rating: 