Chipotle Philly Cheesesteak

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes                   Cook Time: 3 minutes                          Add to MyFitnessPal

Another food I thought I'd have to say goodbye to when I had WLS, the Philly cheesesteak was a sandwich I first tried in second grade while on vacation with a friend's family. It was greasy, rich, and, from that day forward, reminded me of walking down the boardwalk with my buddy on a warm spring day. Satisfaction in food form.

Many years later my first roommate, a recent émigré from Juarez, introduced me to homemade chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I introduced him to the Philly Cheesesteak. A new sandwich was born. And what do you know, given only a few small modifications, it fits a bariatric lifestyle perfectly!



Not half bad, despite being only half a sandwich

Ingredients:
Caulibread - 2 slices
Beef, raw, thinly sliced - 1 oz
Yellow onion, raw - 1/4 cup
Provolone - 1 oz
Mayonaise, reduced fat - 1 Tbsp
Chipotle chili in adobo, diced - 1 tsp
Bell Pepper, diced - 1/4 cup
Parsley, fresh - 1 sprig
Cilantro, fresh - 1 sprig
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:
Prepare your mise en place. Like most recipes, this will make set up, clean up & preparation that much easier.

I took the photo before I picked my pepper, but don't forget it!

Add your beef (I used leftover thinly sliced goat from my last batch of Pho), onions & pepper to a skillet. Be sure to stir frequently. Add salt & pepper after roughly 30 seconds. Cook until beef is done, onions are translucent and peppers are just starting to brown.

While your fillings are cooking, mix the mayonnaise, cilantro & parsley with the chopped chipotle. It will look a little vomit-esque, but trust me, you WANT this on your sandwich.



The key to a chipotle cheesesteak

A quick note about the chipotle chilies in adobo. These babies pack quite the kick, so taste your mayo-mixture before you put it on your sandwich to make sure you're not going to blow your ears out. Also, they vary a great deal by brand, so just be careful not to buy one of the ones loaded with sugar to fit the 'chipotle' fad in food, you want the real deal. If you can find imports from Mexico, your more likely to get something good.



This is the good stuff right here

Once your meat is done cooking, slather your chipotle mayo onto the bottom slice of caulibread, layer on the meat, onions & bell pepper and top with provolone. Regarding provolone, if you can get ahold of farmstead/handmade provolone, you'll be MUCH happier!

To finish off this beauty, place the open faced sandwich under a low broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has completely melted but not browned. Top with the second slice of caulibread and enjoy.



When you go to eat the second half, be sure to reheat in the oven rather than the microwave.

Nutrition (per sandwich):
Calories: 287
Fat: 17 g
Carbs: 10 g
Protein: 21 g
Sodium: 956 mg (ack!)