You Have to Try These Philly Cheesesteak Tacos

Yeah, you heard me. Philly cheesesteak TACOS.

Why, you ask?

1. Why not.
2. Taylor has recently indicated he would like some form of pot roast AND tacos on a weekly basis. Check and check.
3. I can make it in my slow cooker. #blessed
4. We recently visited Philadelphia this summer, so I’ve got cheesesteaks on the brain.
5. Did I mention this is stupid easy to make?

Anyone from Philly is going to kill me for this comment, but I always find cheesesteaks to be bland.  Just meat, cheese, and bread?  Where are the FLAVORS?

My cheesesteak recipe’s got FLAVA. Here’s how:

7 tips for more flavorful Philly cheesesteak tacos

1. BROWN FOOD TASTES GOOD.  It’s super easy to just dump ingredients into a slow cooker, (trust me I do it all the time in the morning) but you will love yourself and your cooking so much more if you take 15 minutes to brown all the ingredients before they go in the crockpot.  Heat a pan. Sear the meat.  Sear the veggies in the meat drippings. Season everything with salt and pepper. Then dump in the crockpot. Your tongue will thank you.
2. Vegetables! You’ll find onions, green peppers, and mushrooms in some variations of Philly cheesesteaks, but all are necessary for optimal lick-smacking slow cooker flavors.  Honestly, after all that time in the slow cooker you’ll have trouble even picking out the mushrooms and onions.  That’s why I like to add some extra veggies in the last 30 minutes of cooking so you still get some yummy crunch, color, and flavor at the end.
3. Worcestershire. Because extra meaty umami flavor=YUM
4. WINE. Because I’m obsessed with wine, I always cook with a glass of wine in my hand, and it makes literally everything better. All that meaty, cheesy, carby goodness needs a little zippy tang of wine. Just pour a little in and let it simmer with the beef stock 🙂
5. Herbs.  I used rosemary and thyme because it’s what I use in pot roast, and they hold up well during cooking.  A bay leaf would be great in there.  So would some sage or oregano.  Anything you got that will insert flavor into your food is a GOOD THING.
6. Spice. Maybe it’s a personal preference, but I like a little spice in almost everything.  If you’re like me, throw a jalapeño or habanero if you’re really dangerous into that slow cooker.  No need to eat it, just pierce it with a fork, let it insert its flavor into the stock, then remove it.
7. Okay this one might be controversial, but non-traditional cheese might just be the key to yummier cheesesteaks. I usually see cheesesteaks with provolone, but I consider that to be kind of a tasteless cheese.  How good would a salty, sharp white cheddar cheese be? Gruyere? Pepper jack? I say get crazy with the cheese flavor.

Okay now that you got it down- go make these babies!

Don’t you want this pile of meat and veggies ready to be inserted in a taco shell?

How about with an ice cold beer. And melty cheese.

You can thank me later 😉

Philly Cheesesteak Tacos

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

4 hours 30 mins

Total time

4 hours 35 mins

 

Author: Ally

Recipe type: Tacos

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 lb chuck roast
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 white onions, sliced
• 3 green bell peppers, sliced
• 8 oz container of white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• ¼ cup dry red or white wine (optional)
• 1 quart low sodium beef stock
• Thyme and Rosemary sprigs
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• Optional jalapeno or habanero pepper, pierced with a fork, for additional spiciness
• 12+ hard or soft taco shells
• Shredded cheese; provolone is classic, or you can increase the flavor with white cheddar or pepper jack

Instructions

1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Generously season the chuck roast all over with salt and pepper. When the pot is hot, sear the meat 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker.
3. Add the slices from 2 of the onions and 2 of the peppers to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and brown them for about 5 minutes before transferring to the slow cooker.
4. Next, add the chopped mushrooms to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and add the worcestershire. Stir, cooking, for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add ¼ cup of wine if you are using it, and the quart of beef broth to the pot. This deglazes the pan so make sure to scrape up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon for extra flavor!
6. Pour the contents of the pot into the slow cooker. Add a couple sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the slow cooker, as well as a couple cloves of peeled and smashed garlic.
7. If you want some spice and additional flavor, poke a couple holes in a whole jalapeño or habanero pepper with a fork, and put it in the slow cooker. Make sure to remove this after you're done cooking!
8. Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
9. Shred the meat, add the rest of the peppers and onions, and continue to cook 30 more minutes.
10. Heat your tortillas, and fill the taco shells with a generous helping of beef, peppers, and onions. Top with lots of shredded cheese. Dig in!

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