Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe - Flavorful plant-based meat, crunchy veggies, and melty cheese between a crusty French bread scream a perfect sandwich! With impossible meat, you can now enjoy this classic sandwich vegetarian-style (vegan option available)!
My husband is a fan of Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. I think the combination of beef and melty cheese appears to him. So I made him a sloppy joe version of Philly Cheesesteak for him a long time ago using ground beef. Sadly ever since I became a vegetarian, this dish has disappeared from our menu. But I'm happy to report that I've made this dish vegetarian-friendly using Impossible meat!
What is Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich?
You can find thinly sliced beefsteak (usually ribeye steak) topped with melty cheese (provolone or American) in a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. The authentic cheesesteak sandwich from Philadelphia uses a hoagie roll with onion topping. But places other than Philadelphia usually have toppings like bell pepper and mushroom.
What is Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe?
Philly cheesesteak sloppy joe is sloppy joe with the flavor inspired by Philly Cheesesteak. I'm using bell pepper, Impossible meat, and panini rustic rolls instead of hoagie rolls. Although they are NOT the usual ingredients in Philly cheesesteak, I think this dish captures the flavor well.
Ingredients in Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
- Impossible meat: I am using plant-based impossible meat as my substitution for ground beef.
- Seasoning: The combination of steak seasoning (I like McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning) and vegan Worcestershire sauce
- Vegetable: I use onion and green bell pepper
- Bread: I like to use hearty bread like French bread or rustic roll that can withstand the cheesy fillings.
Can I use other plant-based meat?
I have tried Beyond meat and Gardein's ground be'f. Even though I'm a huge fan of Beyond Meat, the flavor is too strong and it was difficult to create the classic cheesesteak flavor. For Gardein's ground be'f, the texture of the grounds was too mushy after cooking.
Impossible meat had a similar texture as ground beef and it didn't have a strong flavor of its own and it was easy to work with in terms of creating cheesesteak flavor.
What type of cheese can I use?
I use provolone cheese as it is usually the cheese used in Philly cheesesteak. However, you can use
- Mozzarella
- Fontina
- Muenster Cheese
- Gruyère Cheese
- Vegan cheese (if you are making this dish vegan-friendly)
What type of bread should I use?
Usually, a hamburger bun is used in sloppy joe. However, I like to use bread that can hold melty goodness without falling apart or get soggy. So I recommend bread with a crusty exterior and soft and chewy interior like:
- French bread
- Baguette
- Ciabatta
Tips and suggestions on making Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
- Want to dice an onion like a pro? Please check out this step-by-step guide on how to dice an onion like a pro.
- Use plant-based meat that doesn't have a strong flavor of its own and has a similar texture as ground beef like Impossible meat.
- Try to use hearty bread to hold the cheesy filling and won't get soggy.
- If you like spicy food, try to add some jalapeno (fresh or pickled) and hot sauce. I always add some hot sauce to mine.
- Serve your sloppy joe with potato chips, fries, tater tots, and/or side salad.
How to make it vegan
Everything in this recipe except provolone cheese is vegan-friendly. So if you want to make this dish vegan, make sure to use vegan cheese and vegan-friendly bread.
- Vegan cheese: According to my research, mature cheddar and smoked provolone from Violife come up as the best substitution for provolone cheese.
- Vegan bread: Unlike hamburger buns (usually have egg or milk), most crusty bread like French bread is vegan. When picking up your bread, make sure they are vegan-friendly.
- Seasoning: All Worcestershire sauces are NOT vegetarian or vegan-friendly because anchovy is one of the main ingredients. However, it is easy to find a vegan version at a grocery store these days.
Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe
Flavorful plant-based meat, crunchy veggies, and melty cheese between a crusty French bread scream a perfect sandwich! With impossible meat, you can now enjoy this classic sandwich vegetarian-style (vegan option available)!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main course
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- ½ medium-size onion, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12-ounce Impossible ground meat
- 1 teaspoon steak seasoning (such as Montreal steak seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 slices provolone cheese (or vegan cheese of your choice, if vegan)
- French roll or other crusty bread of your choice (make sure it's vegan if you are vegan)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil in the pan and add onion and bell pepper with ½ teaspoon of salt. Saute until onion becomes translucent but still has its crunch.
- Take the sauteed onion and bell pepper mixture out of the pan and place them in a bowl.
- In the same pan, add the impossible meat with steak seasoning, onion powder, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Cook the meat with frequent stirring until it is no longer pink.
- Add the cooked onion and bell pepper to the mixture. Stir to mix and cook for an additional minute or two until everything is heated through.
- Turn off the heat and spread the mixture in the pan evenly. Add the provolone cheese slices on top. Place a lid right away and let the cheese melt into the meat mixture. If the cheese doesn't seem to melt, you can turn on the heat to low and let it melt while keeping the lid on.
- Scoop the mixture on top of the bread of your choice and enjoy.
Notes
- If you are vegan, make sure to use vegan cheese and vegan-friendly bread.
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