Philly Cheese Steak Appetizer: Three Ways

How fancy am I?  An appetizer three ways!

Originally, I was just making the wonton wrapper version of this recipe for New Year’s Eve at my *very picky* sister’s house. I had made my Buffalo Chicken Wontons for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and had some wrappers left over.

But then I pinned this crescent bite version and she got very excited about it.  So I felt compelled to make it as well (she was hosting after all!).

And then (mainly since I underestimated how many wonton wrappers I had left) I decided to go all out and also make some quesadillas.  I mean, why not?

Even though this post is about three different appetizers, the filling is all the same, so the work is actually minimal.  Interestingly enough, my favorite was actually the quesadilla, with the crescent bite coming in a close second.  The wonton was good, but I think there was too much wonton.  When I make these again, I will probably fold each wonton in half so it’s more cheese steak and less wonton.  The quesadilla gave me the most bang for my buck, cheese steak-wise.

All three appetizers seemed to be a hit at the party.  There was only a few wontons leftover at the end of the night.  As for my *very picky* sister, she was able to enjoy the wontons and crescent bites, minus the peppers and onions.  Before I added the veggies to the pan, I removed a little meat to fill her own special appetizers.  They looked pretty plain (and dry) to me, but she liked them and was very appreciative!

Whichever way you decide to make this appetizer, start with the filling…

• Mince up 1 pound of thinly sliced sirloin.

• Heat some EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add the meat.

• Spread the beef out so it’s in a single layer.

• Season the beef with a little garlic powder.

• Sprinkle on some s&p to taste.

• Cooking, stirring every now and then, until the meat is cooked through and browned.

• While the meat is cooking, mince up 4 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 1 red pepper, and half of a green pepper.  (If your green pepper is on the smaller side, mince up the whole thing.  Mine was pretty large though, so I only used half.)

• Once browned, drain off some of the cooking liquid.  (You don’t want a wet filling!)
• Pour in a little Worcestershire sauce.

• Add the minced veggies.

• Stir to combine, then cook until the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.

• Once tender, remove from the heat and let the mixture cool a bit.

Now, you’re ready to make any of three appetizers…

For the wontons…

• Lay half of your wonton wrappers out on a dry surface.
• Rip several slices of provolone cheese into small pieces.
• Put a piece of cheese in the center of each wrapper.

• Place a teaspoon of the meat filling on top of each piece of cheese.

• Dip your finger in water and run it along the edges of each wonton.

• Place another wrapper on top the filled wrappers.
• Firmly seal all edges.

• Heat about 6 tablespoons of EVOO in a shallow pan over high heat.  (You want about a centimeter of oil.)
• Cook the wontons in batches, flipping once, until golden on both sides.

• Place the cooked wontons onto a paper towel for just a minute to drain any excess oil.

(Ignore the glow from the pink Christmas tree next to the tin!)

For the crescent bites…

• Roll out one tube of crescent dough.

• Separate the dough into the 8 perforated triangles.
• Cut each triangle in half, making 16 total.

• Rip several slices of provolone cheese into small pieces.
• Put a piece of cheese in the center of each triangle.

• Place a teaspoon of the meat filling on top of each piece of cheese.

• Roll each triangle or bring the three ends of the triangle together in the middle, forming a “purse”.

• Place on a baking sheet.
• Bake until the dough is golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

For the quesadillas…

• Preheat your quesadilla maker.  (If you don’t have one, I highly suggest getting one!  It’s great because it seals your quesadilla and divides it into 6 equal sections.  SO worth the small investment!)
• Spray the top and bottom of your quesadilla maker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Top one flour tortilla with some of the meat filling.

• Rip up two slices of provolone into pieces.
• Scatter the pieces of cheese on top of the meat.

• Carefully place the entire quesadilla onto your quesadilla maker and close.

• Place another tortilla on top.

• Cook until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

• Remove the quesadilla and cut into 6 wedges.

One or all three of these appetizers would be great at your Super Bowl party!  Whichever appetizer you decide to make, enjoy!

One Year Ago: Peppers Stuffed with Beef & Tomatoes

Two Years Ago: Black Bean & Lentil Chili

Philly Cheese Steak Appetizers: Three Ways (each version serves 6-8)

 

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sliced sirloin steak, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper, minced
• ½ green pepper, minced

FILLING DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the beef and garlic powder.
• Season liberally with salt and pepper.
• Cook, until browned, stirring occasionally.
• Drain off some of the juice from the meat, then add the Worcestershire  sauce.
• Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and green pepper.
• Stir to combine and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool a little before making appetizers.

 

WONTON ADDED INGREDIENTS:

• wonton wrappers
• sliced provolone cheese
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

WONTON DIRECTIONS:

• Place a small piece of provolone in the middle of half of the wonton wrappers.
• Spoon a teaspoon of the steak filling on top of each piece of cheese.
• Dip your finger in water and run it around the 4 edges of the wonton.
• Place another wonton wrapper on top, pressing firmly to seal it on all 4 sides.
• Heat the oil in a shallow pan over high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, cook the wontons in batches, about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown.
• Place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil before serving.

 

CRESCENT BITE ADDED INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tube crescent dough
• sliced provolone cheese

CRESCENT BITE DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat your oven to 350°.
• Roll out the crescent dough.
• Separate it into 8 triangles.
• Cut each triangle in half, forming 16 triangles.
• Place a small piece of provolone in the middle of each triangle.
• Spoon a teaspoon of the steak filling on top of each piece of cheese.
• Bring the three ends of the triangle together in the middle, forming a “purse”.
• Place on a baking sheet.
• Bake until the dough is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

 

QUESADILLA ADDED INGREDIENTS:

• flour tortillas
• sliced provolone cheese
• nonstick cooking spray

QUESADILLA DIRECTIONS:

• Spoon the steak filling mixture onto one tortilla.
• Cut 2 slices of provolone into small pieces and scatter on top of the meat mixture.
• Coat your quesadilla maker with the cooking spray.
• Place the tortilla on the bottom of the quesadilla maker.
• Top with another tortilla.
• Close the quesadilla maker and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the quesadilla and cut into wedges.

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