This post is a collaboration with Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. On behalf of the Beef Checkoff. I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.
Did you know that Cheesesteak Day is a thing?! Frankly, me neither. But when it was brought to my attention I had to come up with something fun for it. This Cheesesteak Pizza is just plain fun and actually delicious. It also happens to be pretty easy to make!
The key to making this pizza work is to make sure you get the right kind of steak AND make sure you nail the layers of cheese. Layers are important in a cheesesteak after all.
Let’s dive in!
Classic Cheesesteak Toppings
I’m going to avoid all gate-keeping conversations when it comes to what goes on a proper cheesesteak. This is because this isn’t a cheesesteak. It’s a cheesesteak pizza so I get an immediate pass to put whatever I want on it!
That said, I kept it pretty classic when it came to the toppings. I went with green peppers, white onions, shaved sirloin steak, and three kinds of cheese (more on that later)!
Homemade vs. Store-bought Pizza Dough
I tried this Cheesesteak Pizza a few different times and used homemade dough and storebought dough a few different times. To be honest, this pizza does well with either kind of dough so I would use what you normally use.
While sometimes I like to make homemade dough, it’s also okay to use store-bought dough for easy meals and this pizza does well with both!
How to buy or make shaved steak
Shaved steak is really important for this cheesesteak pizza. You need at least 6 ounces of shaved steak but you can use up to 8 ounces for the pizza. It’s key that you get it shaved though so it cooks really fast and doesn’t get tough as it cooks.
Making shaved steak at home can be tricky, but it is doable. They key step it to freeze the steak until it’s not frozen solid, but very stiff. Then use a very sharp knife to shave off thin slices of the steak.
Alternatively, and what I do most times, is to ask your butcher or meat department if they have any shaved steak. Buying it is worlds easier than making it and most butchers will have some available for purchase.
The importance of cheese layers
This pizza is all about the layers. It starts with mozzarella cheese and much LESS mozzarella cheese than I would normally put on a pizza this big (I made a large 16-inch pizza). It’s good to have less mozzarella cheese because we are also going to add Provolone cheese and Cheez Whiz!
The mozzarella goes on first as a base for the pizza. Then when the pizza is about ¾ done baking, remove it from the oven and top it with Provolone. Provolone can get burned if it bakes for too long which is why you want to add it near the end of baking.
Finally, the Cheez Whiz should get drizzled on when the pizza is completely done and cooling.
This process gives you the best texture for all the different cheeses and ends up with a perfect cheesesteak slice!
Baking this cheesesteak pizza
For a loaded pizza like this cheesesteak pizza, I like to bake it on a pizza pan. I use a large 16-inch pizza pan which lets the crust get really crispy and keeps everything in place.
This pizza will need to bake at 500˚F for about 15-16 minutes total. When it’s done, the pizza should be crispy on the edges and browned on the bottom.
Alternatively, you could make smaller pizzas and use a traditional pizza stone and peel method for baking the pizzas. If you do that method, they will need to bake for a much shorter time, probably 8-10 minutes per pizza.
Leftovers
This recipe makes one large pizza and you’ll probably have a leftover slice or two even if you are feeding a family.
The leftovers store fine in the fridge for a few days, but I don’t think they are particularly good cold (and I like cold pizza).
So, I’d recommend reheating the pizza in a skillet with a drizzle of oil over low heat. Cover the skillet and let it reheat slowly for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.
Cheesesteak Pizza
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pizza dough
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 6-8 ounces shaved beef steak
- 6 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ white onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 ounces Provolone cheese, chopped
- ½ cup Cheez Whiz, warm
- Fresh chives, garnish
Pizza dough: (optional – homemade pizza dough method in notes)
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons active dried yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup warm water
- Extra flour, for kneading
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500˚F. Roll out pizza dough and shape it onto a 16-inch pizza pan.
- Add pizza sauce to the dough and spread it out in an even layer. Feel free to add more sauce if you like your pizza saucier.
- Top sauce with mozzarella cheese, chopped peppers, onions, and shaved steak. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Place pizza in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until pizza is starting to brown around the edges and steak is cooked.
- Remove pizza and top with provolone cheese. Return to oven until cheese is blistered on top and crust is crunchy and browned.
- When pizza is done, drizzle with warm Cheez Whiz and garnish with minced chives.
- Slice pizza and serve while warm.
Amorapotter
I use to make the same style of pizza but I used provolone on top layer and sprinkle mozzarella across everything else the same a lot of people order around superball time.. I like the flow of your kitchen your a good chef.