Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

I wasn't going to post about my Philly Cheesteak sandwich that I made out of the Italian Sandwich Rolls I made yesterday because it was dark when I had finished assembling the sandwich and because I thought I couldn't produce a decent enough photo, especially compared to that of Ezra Pound Cake.
However, this afternoon, I made another sandwich and thought it looked photogenic enough to post. I still have half of a sandwich sitting in the microwave for later consumption. The sandwich is really good and cheesy. As you can see, I love mayonnaise...a little too much.

This sandwich doesn't taste like an authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteak, but it is still very meaty, cheesy, and hearty. If you're far (geographically) from the real thing, you should definitely make this dish...no side dishes needed.
TIP: In order to cut the meat thin, I suggest you freeze the meat for a couple of hours and then cut the meat against the grain. The firmer texture makes cutting the meat a breeze.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
Adapted from Ezra Pound Cake and Emeril Lagasse (Food Network)
Makes 2 sandwiches

• 2 (homemade or store-bought) Italian sandwich rolls, split in half vertically
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional; I didn't use this)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound rib-eye steak, very thinly shaved or sliced
• 1/3 pound thinly sliced white American cheese or Provolone OR 4 ounces melted Cheez Whiz (I used provolone and Velveeta)
  
• Garnish: Italian pickled peppers (I didn't use this)
  

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Place the rolls on a baking sheet, and warm them in the oven.

2. In the meantime, heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Add oil, onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 6 minutes (I cooked the onions for about 2-3 minutes in a cast-iron skillet since it will cook more on the side of the skillet). Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Push off to 1 side of the griddle.

3. Add the meat to the hot pan and cook, stirring and breaking up with the back of 2 metal spatulas, until almost no longer pink, about 2 minutes (yeah, I couldn't do that so I just kept flipping it over until the pink was gone). Mix in the sautéed vegetables.

4. If you’re using cheese slices, lay them on top of the meat and vegetable mixture, and melt. Spoon the cheesy meat mixture into the warm buns.

5. If you’re using Cheez Whiz (or Velveeta), put the meat and vegetable mixture in the bun, dip a spatula in the Cheez Whiz, and wipe the spatula down the inside of the bread (I didn't dip the cheese in the spatula. Just get the processed cheese on there hehe). Serve immediately.