Baked Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls
March 22, 2019 by Nicole Collins
Raise your hand if you love fried foods.
I do! I DO!
I mean, who doesn’t? There is nothing like the crispety crunchety crackle of deliciousness when you bite in to something fried to perfection.
Anyone drooling yet?
In reality, I don’t eat a lot of fried foods. There are lots of reasons for that. On top of the fact that I’d like my arteries to survive free and clear until I reach the ripe young age of 100, I really hate the act of frying.
I hate the way my house smells for days after I’ve fried something. I hate all of the oil that I have to dispose of after I fry. I hate the splatter burns that I ultimately end up with because I’m an impatient fryer. The only thing I like about frying is the finished product. So, I really only fry anything maybe once or twice a year.
BUT, it doesn’t have to be fried to be good. And, today’s recipe is living proof of that.
Today, we’re making Baked Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls!
Now just because we’re not frying today’s recipe, I wouldn’t quite go calling these egg rolls healthy. We’re going to use some other naughtier ingredients since we’re saving a few calories by not drenching our treat in a pot of sizzling oil.
I’m talking about cheese, folks. Not that cheese is naughty. But the way we’re using it today, it kinda is.
We start the filling for our egg rolls with some shaved beef. You can buy already shaved beef right in the meat section of your grocery store. I love using this product, because it’s the perfect consistency for a cheesesteak. It’s paper thin and cooks up really quickly. If you can’t find pre-shaved beef in your local store, you could also buy a ribeye steak, pop it in the freezer for about 15-30 mins, and then it’ll be easy to shave the beef yourself by using a nice sharp knife.
The shaved beef gets added to some red peppers and onions that have been caramelizing in the pan with some salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Once the beef is no longer pink, we add some cheesy goodness.
Velveeta!
Now, Velveeta is one of those cheater ingredients that you just need sometimes. It gets kind of a bad rep because it’s a processed product, and I know there are plenty of ways to make a cheese sauce without it. But, sometimes you can’t beat the way it melts, coats, and flavors whatever you’re mixing it with. So, I’m not apologizing for it. I love Velveeta! And, it’s the perfect way to add that “cheese whiz” element to our egg rolls.
After we stuff our cheesy beef mix in the egg roll wrappers, it’s time to bake them off. The secret to helping them get crispy is to give them a generous spray of olive oil cooking spray. The cooking spray allows you to evenly coat the outside of the egg rolls without having to drown them in fat. We bake them at a high heat, flip them right at the end to brown both sides, and they’re ready to go!
All egg rolls need a dipping sauce (in my opinion), so I’m thinking…why not more cheese?!? I like to dip these in a store bought white queso. But, they also taste great dipped in a little ranch dressing. And honestly, they don’t need any sauce at all. The juicy beef and the gooey cheese stuffed on the inside add plenty of moisture to this amazing bite.
These egg rolls are so hearty and full of that classic cheesesteak flavor wrapped up in one delicate little shell. And, if you don’t hate frying and have some extra calories to spare, you can absolutely deep fry these babies as well. It would only make them even better than they already are!
Alright guys, that’s all I’ve got for today. What’s the next fried food you want to see me turn into a baked goodie instead? I’m open to all ideas!
For now, let’s eat!
Baked Philly Cheesesteak Egg Rolls
Serves: 8 egg rolls Print
Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 lb shaved beef
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
4 oz velveeta, cubed
8 egg roll wrappers
olive oil cooking spray
water
white queso or ranch dressing, to serve (optional)
Directions:
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and red pepper, and saute for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to brown. Add beef, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add velveeta cubes, and stir into the meat until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Roll the egg rolls: Take one egg roll wrapper, and place in front of you so one of the corners is facing you (so you're looking at a diamond shape). Dip your finger in water, and run it along the outside border of the egg roll wrapper to moisten the edges. Take about 1/3 cup of the cooled meat filling, and place in the center of the diamond. Take the bottom corner, and tuck it over the filling. Fold in both side corners over the filling, and continue rolling to seal the egg roll with the top corner. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Generously spray the tops and sides of the egg rolls with olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden brown, flip, and bake for and additional 2-3 mins until golden on both sides. Remove from oven, and serve with white queso or ranch dressing, if desired.
Recipe notes:
*These can be made in advance and reheated too! Just store them in the fridge, and bake them at 375 degrees for about 8-10 mins until golden and crispy again.
*If you're feeling naughty, you can TOTALLY fry these egg rolls too. Follow the same instructions for filling the egg rolls, but fry them in 350 degree oil (vegetable, canola, peanut) for about 2-3 mins per side until golden brown. Frying only makes these egg rolls crispier than they already are!
*Most grocery stores sell shaved beef in their meat section right along with the other beef (including Aldi and Walmart, which are my go tos). It's such a shortcut ingredient, and it's the PERFECT texture for cheesesteaks. If you can't find it, you could buy a ribeye steak, put it in the freezer for 15-30 mins, then thinly slice it against the grain with a super sharp knife to shave your beef.
