HAVE MERCY! Philly cheesesteak meatballs all rolled around in a creamy garlic cheese sauce. Never have I ever fallen so head over heels for a meal like this. Just think about this: tender, seared meatballs, mingling with garlic cream sauce that is loaded with umami flavor and sprinkled with a kick of red pepper flakes and a bit of fresh parsley to brighten things up! It’s the kind of comfort food that I dream of when the weather starts to turn the way it has today. It’s no secret that I was born ready for comfort food season. Like, I sit around and wait all year for the clock to strike late September, and then I can’t take it anymore! I’m back in the kitchen testing batches of biscuit pot pie, making pots of soup, and turning classics into meatball versions. I think this is a thing that I’m into? Why are classic dishes so good when they’re turned into mini meatball versions of themselves?
Like I said, I love making meatballs! I’ve shared my take on Swedish meatballs, chicken piccata meatballs, General Tso’s meatballs, cajun chicken meatballs, greek meatballs, honey-chipotle meatballs, chipotle butter chicken meatballs, cheese-stuffed meatballs, and firecracker chicken meatballs. Someone stop me now – I hadn’t realized the problem was this bad. I think what makes this recipe is boatloads of umami flavor that a couple of ingredients add to this recipe. I’ll talk about them here in just a second. But really, I just love serving these cheesesteak meatballs over a bed of garlic laden mashed potatoes that I whip up super quick in the instant pot. But also, cheesesteak meatballs are delicious on a bed of egg noodles or even zoodles if you’re going low carb these days before we jump into the holiday season.
What do you need to make cheesesteak meatballs?
ground beef panko breadcrumbs an egg seasonings soy sauce parmesan cheese parsley
How to make cheesesteak meatballs:
My favorite tip to share when I share a new meatball recipe is how to mix the meat mixture. Combine everything but the meat in a bowl first so you can ensure that seasonings are evenly dispersed without overworking the meat. Once you add the ground beef, mix until it is just combined. This way, you always end up with tender meatballs. When you overwork the meat, you almost always end up with dry meatballs. The texture is so much better when you take the time to combine everything but the meat first, then add it the meat and stir until just mixed. Then it’s as simple as rolling the meatballs into portions. I use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture and ended up with 25 meatballs.
Tips to keep the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands
If you find the meat mixture is sticking to your hands a lot, I like to wash my hands, pat them dry, then spray or drizzle about a 1/2 teaspoon of oil in the palm of my hands and rub them together. Then, when you go to grab the meat mixture, it should only stick to itself. To be honest, I didn’t find this to be a problem with this recipe; however, the solution is there if you need it 🙂
What do you need to make the garlic cheese sauce for cheesesteak meatballs?
chopped onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms all-purpose flour garlic powder beef stock soy sauce sour cream shredded cheese parsley
How to make the garlic cheese sauce for cheesesteak meatballs:
Why do you add soy sauce to this recipe?
Over the years, I’ve learned that adding soy sauce to certain recipes can really amp the flavors. Here, we’re using chopped mushrooms in the sauce which already gives it some of that umami flavor. So when you add soy sauce into the mix, you find that it boosts the flavor profile ten folds. Especially when there is cheese involved. I know, I sound insane, but trust me on this, the soy sauce is what makes this recipe one-thousand times better.
How do you suggest serving these?
There is no right or wrong way to serve these cheesesteak meatballs. Starting with the obvious, you can place them inside a baguette and drizzle with the garlic cheese sauce for a real cheesesteak experience. I assure you, Joey Tribbiani would be proud! But you could also:
serve them over mashed potatoes over egg noodles over zoodles on a bed of quinoa on a bed of rice with a salad and garlic rolls on the side
What it all boils down to is that cheesesteak meatballs are the new way to eat Philly cheesesteak subs! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sub, but in the cooler months, I want a bowl of mashed potatoes or a generous serving of egg noodles laced with garlic cream sauce. Cheesesteak meatballs are going to make your mouth so so happy.
