Ultimate Philly Cheesesteak Pizza: Easy Homemade Recipe with White Garlic Sauce
Prepare to elevate your pizza night with a sensational twist on a classic American favorite: the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza! This recipe takes all the iconic flavors of a hearty Philly Cheesesteak sandwich – thinly sliced steak, sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms – and layers them onto a delicious, homemade pizza crust, all brought together with a luscious white garlic cream sauce instead of traditional tomato. It’s a fun, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying meal that promises to become a new family favorite.
If you’re anything like me, you adore Philly Cheesesteaks in almost any form. From Philly Cheesesteak Sliders to a classic Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, the combination of tender steak and savory toppings is simply irresistible. While this pizza might not be strictly “traditional” in the sense of a classic cheesesteak, it captures the essence perfectly, delivering an explosion of flavor in every bite.
Everyone loves a good pizza night, but homemade pizza takes the experience to a whole new level. Forget waiting for delivery or settling for mediocre takeout; this cheesesteak pizza offers a gourmet experience right in your own kitchen. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy a personalized, fresh meal, and the aroma filling your home as it bakes is an added bonus!
The Foundation: Crafting Your Perfect Pizza Crust
The quality of your pizza starts with its crust. Many home cooks feel intimidated by making pizza dough from scratch, but it’s much easier than you might think, and the payoff in taste and texture is immense. While many grocery stores offer fresh pizza dough balls in their deli or refrigerated sections, making your own can be incredibly rewarding. My personal favorite is a simple No-Knead Pizza Dough, which requires minimal effort and delivers a wonderfully chewy and crispy crust in minutes.
Don’t let the thought of making dough stop you! You can truly use any pizza dough you prefer. If you’re looking for an ultra-easy shortcut, even your favorite local pizza shop might sell you a ball of their fresh dough for a very reasonable price – it never hurts to ask! Whether you choose homemade, store-bought, or pizzeria dough, the most important thing is that you’re starting with a base you love.
The Heart of the Flavor: Roasted Garlic White Sauce
Instead of a traditional tomato base, this Philly Cheesesteak Pizza uses a rich and creamy white garlic sauce. This sauce is designed to complement the savory steak and tender vegetables without overpowering them, allowing their natural flavors to shine. I like to use my Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce as the base for this recipe. Roasting the garlic beforehand brings out a deep, mellow sweetness and complexity that raw garlic simply can’t offer, creating an incredibly flavorful foundation.
If you’re short on time, a store-bought Alfredo sauce can work as a fantastic shortcut, providing a similar creamy texture and savory profile. Just ensure it’s a good quality sauce that won’t overshadow the other ingredients. If you’ve ever tried my Roasted Garlic White Chicken Pizza, you’ll recognize this delicious sauce; it’s truly versatile!
What You’ll Need for Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
For the Homemade Pizza Crust:
- Warm Water
- Active Dry Yeast
- Sugar
- Olive Oil
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
For the Roasted Garlic White Sauce:
- Roasted Garlic cloves (minced)
- Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Black Pepper
For the Toppings:
- Ribeye Steak (thinly sliced)
- Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
- Onion (thinly sliced)
- Mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
- Salt and Pepper (for seasoning steak)
- Cornmeal (for dusting baking sheet)
How To Make Philly Cheesesteak Pizza: A Step-by-Step Guide
Making this incredible pizza is a straightforward process, broken down into manageable steps. While it might look like a lot of instructions, many parts can be prepared ahead of time, simplifying your dinner routine significantly. The result is a homemade masterpiece that tastes like it came from your favorite pizzeria!
1. Prepare the Roasted Garlic White Sauce:
- Begin by roasting a head of garlic. This essential step mellows the garlic’s flavor and makes it sweet and spreadable. You can find detailed tips and tricks on How To Roast Garlic.
- Once the garlic is roasted, mash the cloves. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the mashed roasted garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes to infuse the butter with its aromatic flavor.
- Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until it visibly thickens to a consistency that will spread nicely on your pizza crust. Remove from heat and set aside while you prepare the other components.
2. Prepare the Pizza Crust:
- If making homemade dough, combine warm water (105º – 110º F), sugar, and active dry yeast in a bowl. Let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is active.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the activated yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir everything together until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes. This resting period allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out.
3. Get Your Pizza Toppings Ready:
- Thinly slice your ribeye steak against the grain. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot. Add the seasoned steak slices and sear for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and cooked through. Remove the steak from the skillet and set it aside.
- Thinly slice your bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. You have a choice here: you can add them raw to the pizza for a crisper texture, or you can sauté them for 5-7 minutes in the same skillet you used for the steak (adding a touch more olive oil if needed). Sautéing them slightly will soften them and help them release excess moisture, preventing a soggy pizza. I prefer to lightly cook my onions and mushrooms for this reason.
4. Assemble and Bake Your Pizza:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet or pizza pan and sprinkle it with cornmeal. The cornmeal adds a nice crispiness to the bottom of the crust and helps prevent sticking.
- Once your dough has rested, divide it into two equal balls (for two 12-inch pizzas). On your prepared baking sheet, roll each ball into approximately a 12-inch circle.
- Use a fork to poke holes all over the dough. This crucial step prevents the crust from puffing up excessively and ensures a crispier base.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. This par-baking step creates a sturdier, crispier crust that won’t get soggy under the toppings.
- Remove the par-baked crust from the oven. Evenly spread a generous layer of the roasted garlic cream sauce over the dough, leaving a small border for the crust.
- Arrange the cooked steak slices, sautéed or raw veggies (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms) evenly over the sauce.
- Liberally sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over all the toppings.
- Return the pizza to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is beautifully melted and golden brown, and the crust is perfectly crispy.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool for a minute or two, then slice and serve immediately. Enjoy your homemade Philly Cheesesteak Pizza!
While the instructions may seem extensive, don’t be daunted! This recipe is surprisingly manageable. Many components, such as the roasted garlic sauce, can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge. If you opt for store-bought pizza crust, you’ve already eliminated a significant portion of the preparation time, making this a quick and easy weeknight meal.
This cheesesteak pizza is also a fantastic way to utilize any leftover cooked steak you might have on hand. Simply thinly slice it and add it to the pizza during assembly. The time spent in the hot oven will warm it through perfectly, so there’s no need to reheat it beforehand.
Recipe Tips for an Unforgettable Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
- Embrace Time-Saving Shortcuts: If your schedule is packed, don’t hesitate to use store-bought help. Many grocery stores sell high-quality, pre-made pizza dough in their deli or refrigerated sections. This saves you a significant amount of time and effort without compromising on flavor.
- Utilize Leftover Steak: This recipe is a brilliant way to repurpose any leftover cooked steak you might have. Just thinly slice the cooked steak and arrange it over your pizza. The oven’s heat will warm it up beautifully, so no pre-heating of the steak is necessary.
- Par-Bake for a Crispier Crust: This is a game-changer! Baking the pizza crust for a few minutes before adding any toppings helps to create a much crispier, sturdier base. This simple step prevents a soggy center and ensures your pizza can hold up to all those delicious toppings.
- Achieve Ultra-Thin Steak Slices: For perfect, melt-in-your-mouth steak slices that cook evenly and are easy to eat, try slightly freezing your steak before slicing. If you have a thawed steak, place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. This firms it up just enough to make incredibly thin, even cuts a breeze.
- Customize Your Veggies: While bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms are classic cheesesteak accompaniments, feel free to personalize your pizza. If you’re not a fan of certain vegetables, simply omit them. I used red bell pepper for its sweeter flavor, but green, yellow, or orange bell peppers work equally well.
- Don’t Hold Back on the Cheese: Cheese is key to a great cheesesteak! While mozzarella is a fantastic choice for its melt and stretch, don’t be afraid to experiment. Provolone is a traditional cheesesteak cheese, or you could try a blend of cheddar and mozzarella, or even Monterey Jack for a different flavor profile. Use what you love!
More Delicious Dinner Recipes to Explore
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
- Wet Burrito
- Chili Relleno Casserole
- Salisbury Steak
- Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- French Dip Sliders
- Pork Green Chili
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
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Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- 1 cup warm water, 105º – 110º F
- 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Roasted Garlic White Sauce
- 8 cloves roasted garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
- 6 oz ribeye, thinly sliced
- 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 16 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper
- cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
To Make Roasted Garlic Sauce
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In a small saucepan heat butter over medium heat to melt. Add roasted garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth.
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Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to assemble pizza.
To Make Pizza Crust
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Stir together yeast, sugar and 1 cup of warm water. Let rest for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts to foam up.
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Whisk together flour and salt.
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Pour in yeast mixture and olive oil and stir until it forms a dough.
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Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Get Pizza Toppings Ready
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Thinly slice steak and season with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until it is browned and cooked. Remove and set aside.
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Thinly slice your peppers, onions, and mushrooms. If you want to sauté them for a few minutes to start them cooking, you can do this now. This is completely optional.
Make Pizza
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Preheat oven to 425º F. Grease a baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
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Divide dough into 2 balls. Roll each ball into a 12 inch circle. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough. Bake for 5 minutes.
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Remove from the oven and spread the sauce over the dough. Arrange the cooked steak as well as your veggies over the pizza. Sprinkle with cheese.
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Put the pizza back in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the crust is crispy.
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Remove and slice to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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