Philly cheese steak nachos
- Preparation 1 h
- Cooking 25 min
- Servings 4
- Freezing I do not suggest
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🥩 The forbidden marriage between Philly and nachos
These Philly cheese steak nachos are the kind of recipe that should never have existed, but works so well you wonder why nobody thought of it before. Whether it’s for the Super Bowl, hockey playoffs, a soccer match with friends or a Saturday night on the patio in the summer, this dish brings everyone together. Thinly sliced top sirloin marinated in soy and Worcestershire, seared over high heat with onions and peppers, all smothered in a homemade cheddar cheese sauce and topped with broiled fontina. It’s excessive, it’s decadent, and it’s exactly what you want.
🧀 A homemade cheese sauce that buries everything you’ve ever tasted
The real star here is the cheese sauce. Marble cheddar melted into evaporated milk with smoked paprika and tabasco delivers a smooth, rich texture that’s just spicy enough to stand up to the seasoned beef. No jarred sauce, no shortcuts. The two-layer assembly with fontina broiled under the grill turns every chip into a complete bite. Perfect for a party, an office gathering or simply to impress your guests, these are the kind of nachos you don’t share willingly.
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🔪 Slice the beef as thinly as possible
The secret to a good Philly cheese steak is the thinness of the cut. Thickly sliced beef won’t cook fast enough over high heat and will lose its juices instead of caramelizing. Placing the cut of meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing makes the job much easier. Each slice should be almost translucent to literally melt on the nachos.
📐 Control the thickness of the cheese sauce
The cheese sauce thickens as it cools and thins as it heats. Keeping a little milk nearby allows you to adjust the texture at any time. A sauce that’s too thick won’t spread evenly over the nachos, while a sauce that’s too runny will make the chips soggy. Aim for a nappe consistency that flows slowly from the ladle.
⏱ Respect the full 30 minutes of marinating the beef
The soy sauce and Worcestershire need time to penetrate the meat fibers and create that characteristic umami flavor. Too little time and the beef will just taste salty on the surface. Draining after marinating is crucial to achieve a nice caramelization rather than meat that boils in its juices in the pan.
❄️ Prepare the cheese sauce and meat mixture ahead of time
The cheese sauce reheats perfectly over low heat with a little milk to loosen it up. The sautéed beef mixture with onions and peppers keeps in the fridge until the next day. On the day, just assemble the nachos and broil. All the heavy lifting is already done.
🔥 Dose the cheese sauce sparingly on the nachos
It’s tempting to drown the nachos in sauce, but moderation is your ally here. One to two ladles per layer is enough to add flavor without turning the chips into sponges. The remaining sauce served on the side lets everyone dip as they please and guarantees crispy nachos from start to finish.
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Ingredients for the cheese sauce
- 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) marble cheddar cheese (3/4 of a large brick)
- 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cornstarch
- 1 can (354 ml) unsweetened 2% evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) smoked paprika
- 2 dashes of tabasco or more to taste
- Salt and pepper
Ingredients
- 450 g top sirloin beef, sliced very thinly
- 3 tbsp. (45 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 yellow onion cut in half, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- Olive oil
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) Italian seasoning
- 275 g restaurant-style tortilla chips
- 300 g fontina cheese, shredded
- Sour cream (for serving)
- Salsa (for serving)
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Preparation
- In a large bowl, mix the cheddar cheese and cornstarch together.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, pour the evaporated milk, smoked paprika, tabasco and the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper, then stir. Cook while stirring for 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the mixture thickens. Turn off the heat but keep warm. Thin out with a little milk if the mixture becomes too thick.
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- In a bowl, mix the beef with the soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate on the counter for 30 minutes, then drain.
- In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the onion and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
- Add the peppers, Italian seasoning and a thin drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Increase to medium-high heat, add the drained meat with a thin drizzle of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring.
- Return the onion and pepper mixture to the skillet and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain if necessary.
- On a large baking sheet or an oversized cast iron skillet, spread half the tortilla chips. Add half the meat mixture, one to two ladles of cheese sauce and about a quarter of the fontina cheese. Note: the more cheese sauce you add, the more likely the chips will soften.
- Spread the remaining tortilla chips, the remaining meat and one to two ladles of cheese sauce. Cover with the remaining fontina cheese.
- Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Serve with the remaining cheese sauce, sour cream and salsa.
Yes. Flank steak, inside round or even skirt steak all work very well. The key is to slice as thinly as possible against the grain. Avoid cuts that are too fatty as they will make the mixture oily during cooking.
Evaporated milk gives a smoother and more stable texture, but you can use whole milk with an extra tablespoon of cornstarch. The result will be slightly less creamy but perfectly fine. Avoid skim milk which will produce a sauce that’s too thin.
Mozzarella, provolone or Monterey Jack are excellent substitutes. Fontina brings a unique melt and a slightly nutty flavor, but any cheese that melts well and broils golden will do the job.
Absolutely. Sliced mushrooms are a Philly cheese steak classic. Sauté them with the onions and peppers at step 5 until nicely browned. They add an umami dimension that perfectly complements the marinated beef.
Nachos are always best fresh out of the oven. When reheated, the chips inevitably soften. If you have leftovers, reheating in the oven at 375 °F for 5 to 8 minutes helps revive some crispiness, but the result will never be identical to the first cook.
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