Name: Philly Cheese Steak Meatball Subs
Cook time: 7 min
Ingredients: 2 green bell peppers (chopped); 1 whole onion (halved then cut into slices); 1 8 oz. packaged sliced white button mushrooms; 16 uncooked premade meatballs; 1 cup chicken broth; 4 hoagie buns; 4 slices Provolone cheese

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Philly cheese steak meatball subs are a cinch to prepare in an Instant Pot or slow cooker. Beef meatballs are loaded with bell peppers, mushrooms and cheese.

This past summer, I finally broke down and got an Instant Pot. I’m usually one of those folks that bucks trends, but this is truly a trend I wish I had jumped on sooner … because I LOVE mine. I love how I can take a typical slow cooker recipe and cook it in about 1/4 of the time. Like these Philly Cheese steak Meatball Subs.

But … I know not everyone has an Instant Pot. I didn’t want to exclude you folks, so I’ve included instructions for both cooking methods.

Let’s talk meatballs

A traditional cheese steak is made with thinly sliced steak. We’re deviating from the recipe a little … we’re using meatballs.

You can make your own meatballs for this recipe. But if you’re like me, time is of the essence. In order to get dinner on the table faster, I opted to purchase premade uncooked meatballs. You can usually find them in the meat section. Try looking near the ground beef or Italian sausages.

Keep in mind, these are not precooked frozen meatballs. I’ll be honest, I’ve never had a precooked meatball that I liked. They are usually tough. This recipe was written based on uncooked meatballs, so if you decide to go a different route, you may need to adjust the cooking time to get the same results.

I also don’t recommend using stuffed meatballs. I’ve tried it once before and by the time the meatballs finished cooking all the stuffing had leaked out.

Other ingredients you’ll need to pick up include green bell peppers, a yellow onion, white button mushrooms (I buy sliced because again … time saver), chicken broth, hoagie buns and Provolone cheese. Some people prefer Cheez Whiz on their cheese steak. Feel free to sub the cheeses if you desire.

Instant Pot Philly Cheese Steak Meatball Subs

Step one. Brown your meatballs. This not only adds color and flavor, but it helps the meatballs to hold their shape during cooking. But if you are short on time, skip to step two.

Spray the insert of your Instant Pot with cooking spray. Select the SAUTE program. Press ADJUST to MORE. Once the Instant Pot is HOT add the meatballs in batches. Brown on each side about two minutes. Drain on paper towels while you are browning the rest of the meatballs.

Step two. Once all the meatballs are browned, add them back to the insert. Add the bell peppers, onions and mushrooms. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.

Step three. Pour in 1 cup of chicken. You need this to help build pressure within the cooker and it adds more flavor than water.

Step four. Secure the lid. Make the sure the vent is set to SEAL. Select the MEAT/STEW setting. Press ADJUST to MORE. Set time for 7 minutes.

Step five. Let the steam release naturally. This should take about 10 minutes.

Step six. Preheat the broiler.

Step seven. Before serving, butter and toast the hoagie buns.

Step eight. Arrange about 3 meatballs into the center of each bun. Spoon the peppers, onions and mushrooms over the top.

Step nine. Place one slice of Provolone cheese over the top of each sandwich. Place the sandwiches under the broiler, check after about to minutes and see if the cheese is melted. If not, place them back under the broiler, but keep a close watch on your sandwiches so they don’t burn.

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Meatball Subs

Step one. Brown your meatballs. Meatballs can be browned in a skillet for 2 minutes on each side. This not only adds color and flavor, but it helps the meatballs to hold their shape during cooking. But if you are short on time, skip to step two.

Step two. Place the bell peppers, onions and mushrooms in the crock of a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step three. Arrange the meatballs over the top. Pour in the chicken broth.

Step four. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Step five. Preheat the broiler.

Step six. Before serving, butter and toast the hoagie buns.

Step seven. Arrange about 3 meatballs into the center of each bun. Spoon the peppers, onions and mushrooms over the top.

Step eight. Place one slice of Provolone cheese over the top of each sandwich. Place the sandwiches under the broiler, check after about to minutes and see if the cheese is melted. If not, place them back under the broiler, but keep a close watch on your sandwiches so they don’t burn.

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