Philly Cheesebake

Note: I cook the meat, then the veggies and then the sauce (using the same pan for each). And then I mix everything together. But you could use 3 pans at once to make assembly faster.

Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente, but stop 2 minutes short of the specified time. Drain the pasta and set it aside but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Set the water aside as well.

For the topping: Heat a pan to medium-high heat. Pulse together the bread or crackers and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a food processor until large crumbs form. Add the buttery crumbs to the hot pan and toast the mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes. When done they should be golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and set aside. You can use store-bought bread crumbs and melted butter instead. Whatever you’d prefer is fine!

For the steak: Heat a pan to medium-high heat. Slice steak into thin strips and pat the strips dry with a paper towel. Toss steak with steak seasoning and sear in the hot pan until crispy and brown on all sides. This should take about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the vegggies: Cut the bell pepper and onion into 1-inch wedges and mince the garlic. In a hot pan (the same one you cooked the steak in), saute the onion and peppers with a drizzle of olive oil until charred on the edges. This will take about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, pickled jalapenos and jalapeno juice and saute for 2 more minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not brown. Turn off the heat or remove the veggies to another dish and use the same pan for the cheese sauce.

For the cheese sauce: Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with the flour and whisk together over medium heat for 2 minutes until a paste forms. Add the milk/half and half, cream cheese, grated cheese and chicken stock. Stir together until cheeses are melted and sauce is bubbly. Add a dash of salt and pepper and pasta water as needed to form a smooth sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375F if cooking immediately – this recipe can also be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days!

In a large bowl or pot combine meat, vegetables, pasta and cheese sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to make a soupy consistency. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish (9×13 or a similar size oval) and top with the prepared bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and topping is crispy. Add more jalapenos if you enjoy spicy things!