This easy and delicious Philly Cheesesteak Pizza with homemade flavor-packed white sauce can be made with store bought or homemade pizza dough, and is ready in about 30 minutes!
JUMP TO RECIPEBe warned: this ultra cheesy and flavorful Philly Cheesesteak Pizza is ADDICTIVE. With a flavor-bomb 5 minute homemade white sauce, plenty of thinly sliced steak, fried onions, and tangy sliced cherry peppers- I bet you can't eat just one slice.
If you're craving all the deliciousness of a Philly Cheesesteak, reimagined as a totally tasty homemade pizza, you've come to the right place.
This super satisfying and comforting pizza comes together in just about 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients
- Tips
- Handy Tools for great pizza
- Substitutions and Additions
- Variations
- Step by Step photos
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What to serve with Cheesesteak Pizza
- More great pizza recipes
- Tasty Cheesesteak recipes
Ingredients
Making the white sauce
For the flavor-packed white pizza sauce, you'll need:
- Butter and flour, to help make the sauce nice and thick and glossy. If you want to keep things gluten free, see my notes in the FAQ.
- Fresh garlic, dried oregano, fresh grated nutmeg, and a bit of chicken bouillon powder, to give the sauce a big flavor punch. These simple additions give the sauce a well-rounded and delicious flavor, with a big umami punch from the added chicken bouillon, and a classic Italian flavor from the oregano.
- Heavy cream, which will serve as the base for the creamy sauce. See below for alternatives.
- Grated Parmesan cheese. This will be stirred in right at the end with the nutmeg to give the sauce its deliciously nutty and cheesy flavor. be sure to use fresh or hand grated parmesan, not the shelf stable stuff. The shelf stable variety contains stabilizers, and will alter the thickness of the sauce.
Note: You want a thick sauce. The white sauce for this recipe is a bit on the thick side, but that's for good reason. You want a thicker sauce so it stays put, and holds onto all the cheese and toppings. If you find the sauce is a bit too thick for your liking, you can add an additional splash or 2 of heavy cream and whisk it in to help thin it out.
Pizza Dough and Toppings
Here's what you'll need to build the perfect Philly Cheesesteak Pizza!
- Olive oil. I like to use extra virgin olive oil when making pizzas. You'll use this for cooking the onions and steak, and it also comes in handy for working with the dough, and crisping the bottom crust when applied in a thin layer on your pizza pan.
- Shaved steak such as Old Neighborhood. If you can't find shaved steak at your local grocery store, check out my tips for how to shave your own steak in the FAQ below!
- An onion, thinly sliced. You'll cook this down until the onions are soft and just beginning to caramelize, then cook the steak right in the same pan. Less dishes!
- Fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces. I love the flavor and texture of fresh mozzarella, and it doesn't get more rustic (or easy) than simply ripping it up with your hands! If you like, you could also use equal parts shredded mozzarella cheese, but shredding your own is recommended.
- Grated parmesan cheese, to add a bold and nutty flavor to the pizza, and bring out the flavors of the white sauce.
- Sliced pickled hot cherry peppers. These are optional, but highly recommended. These add a bit of spice to the pizza, as well as a little briny and acidic flavor, since they are pickled.
Tips
Start with a great pizza dough. You can use store bought or homemade pizza dough for this recipe! If using store bought, I love Mama Cozzi's from Aldi. It's usually under $2 per dough ball, it's fresh, and if you let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes prior to prepping your pizza, it stretches perfectly! You can also make your own pizza dough! Check out my Harissa Pizza recipe for tips on making your own dough!
Be patient and gentle with the dough. Make sure you allow your pizza dough to rest on the counter a bit, and stretch it gently on a pizza pan. If it springs back a lot and you're struggling the get it to stretch, allow it to rest a bit and try again to ensure its even and doesn't tear.
Don't overdo the toppings. Keep your cheesesteak pizza toppings even and don't overdo it, and you'll have a perfectly crisp and easy to hold pizza slice every time. This is particularly important if you are using cauliflower crust or gluten free pizza dough, as they can be a bit more fragile and should not be overloaded.
Oil your pan (and you hands). Lightly brush your pizza pan with olive oil and moisten your hands with a bit of olive oil before shaping the dough for easy, fuss-free pizza. The oil on the bottom helps the crust get nice and crispy, too! if you like, you can also add a light sprinkling of cornmeal to the pan underneath the pizza dough for extra crunch!
Handy Tools for great pizza
A great pizza pan or pizza stone. You'll want a nice sturdy metal pizza pan or high quality pizza stone for a thin and crispy pizza!
Stand mixer. A stand mixer or bread maker are great options for making your own dough from scratch! I love my trusty KitchenAid Stand Mixer for making homemade pizza dough!
Substitutions and Additions
Swap the sliced hot cherry peppers for sautéed fresh bell peppers, or chopped pickled pepperoncini peppers.
Use your favorite pizza sauce or marinara in place of the white sauce. I LOVE using the Specialty Select Marinara from Aldi as a pizza sauce!
Make the pizza extra spicy and sprinkle on some crushed red pepper flakes.
Add some sharp provolone to the pizza in place of the Parmesan for a extra nutty flavor!
Use whole milk or half and half in place of the heavy cream for the white pizza sauce.
Variations
Use American Cheese slices in place of the mozzarella for a super-Philly version of this cheesesteak pizza!
Add some shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion on top right after baking for a Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Hoagie version! A little drizzle of garlic mayo would be great, too!
Make a Pizza Steak Pizza by swapping the white sauce for your favorite marinara sauce, and adding some roasted or thinly sliced garlic!
Add sliced and sautéed fresh mushrooms, peppers and onions for a Mushroom Cheesesteak Pizza!
Philly Cheese Steak Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- pizza pan or pizza stone
- small saucepan
- large nonstick frying pan
Ingredients
White Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Pizza Ingredients
- 1 prepared pizza dough or homemade pizza dough
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (plus more for pan)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- ½ lb shaved steak (such as Old Neighborhood)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
- ¼ cup sliced pickled hot cherry peppers, (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 500 degrees f. For best results, do this about 30 minutes prior to baking the pizza. Make the Sauce: 1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. 2. Once melted, add flour and garlic and stir well until fully combined. Cook 30 seconds, until just fragrant. 3. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until well incorporated, then str in salt, pepper, dried oregano and chicken bouillon powder. 4. Cook 2-3 minutes, until thickened. 5. Turn off heat and fold in fresh grated nutmeg and grated parmesan cheese. 6. Remove pot from heat and set aside until ready to use. Cook the onions and steak: 1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or large skillet. 2. Add sliced onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste, 3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, 8-10 minutes. 4. Add shaved steak to the pan with the onions, and season again with salt and pepper to taste. 5. Cook, breaking the steak up as you go with a wooden spoon or spatula, until all steak is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Assemble and bake the pizza: 1. Apply a light coating of olive oil to your pizza pan (if using a pizza stone, skip this step). 2. Carefully stretch dough with lightly oiled hands to fit your pizza pan until it reached the edges. (If using a pizza stone, form dough, then place on stone). 3. Layer sauce over the dough edge-to-edge with the back of a spoon, leaving a small gap at the crust’s edge. 4. Add grated parmesan in an even layer, then break up mozzarella with your hands and distribute evenly across the pizza. 5. Layer on the steak and onions, then top with the sliced cherry peppers. 6. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until crispy, browned, and bubbly. 7. Allow to rest a few minutes, then slice and serve!
Step by Step photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a whole steak for this recipe?
If you can't find thinly sliced ribeye or shaved steak for this recipe, you can use a whole steak, and thinly slice it yourself! Prep your steak by removing any excess fat, then freeze for 20-30 minutes to firm it up. Once it's firm, you can use a very sharp knife to thinly slice or shave the steak for the pizza! Be sure to keep the amount of steak to about 8 oz.
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
100%! You can swap the regular crust for a gluten free pizza dough or cauliflower crust. To make the white sauce for this pizza gluten free, omit the flour from the recipe, and add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch an flour, well combined) to the sauce at the end to thicken it.
How long will steak pizza last in the fridge?
This cheesesteak pizza will keep well covered in flour or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can You Freeze Cheesesteak Pizza?
Yes! To freeze the leftover cheesesteak pizza, allow the slices to cool completely to rom temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and transfer to resealable freezer bags. For best flavor and texture, eat the pizza within 2 months, and thaw prior to reheating.
What’s the best way to reheat the Cheesesteak pizza?
You can reheat the pizza in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, or use my preferred method and reheat the pizza in your air fryer for 2-5 minutes!
What Type of Cheese is Best for Philly Cheesesteak Pizza?
I love a classic fresh mozzarella for this pizza, but you can also use low moisture shredded mozzarella or a shredded Italian cheese blend (usually a blend of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and Romano cheese).
What to serve with Cheesesteak Pizza
This tasty cheesesteak pizza goes great with a nice glass of wine or a beer, and a simple salad, like my Marinated Tomato and Burrata Salad recipe, or a quick green salad with a great dressing, like this Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette recipe!
More great pizza recipes
If you love this Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Recipe, you'll also love my Harissa Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella, Corn Squash and Goat Cheese Pizza, or Prosciutto Fig French Bread Pizza!
Tasty Cheesesteak recipes
Hungry for all things Philly Cheesesteak? Try my Philly Cheesesteak Sliders recipe, Salami Cheesesteak Wontons, or Philly Cheesesteak Jalapeno Poppers!
© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
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