Caramelized Onion Steak Sandwiches with White Cheddar Sauce

I used to make some simple steak sandwiches for dinner when Trevor and I were first married. Awhile ago, I stumbled on the recipe as I was looking through my collection and realized I had mostly forgot about them since I hadn’t made them for a few years. We always loved them though, so I put them on our weekly menu. Then I remembered I had some caramelized onions in the fridge I needed to use up, and somehow a white cheddar sauce also got involved and these sandwiches came to be. We weren’t at all disappointed by the additions to our old favorite.

Make sure you slice the meet as thin as possible. I like to put the raw uncut steak in the freezer for about 45 minute to get it partially frozen. It is much easier to slice this way, and I can get the meat much thinner than when I cut it completely thawed. I also often buy more meat than I need so I can slice up a bunch at once and then freeze the uncooked sliced meat I don’t need to save time another night.

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Caramelized Onion and Steak Sandwiches with White Cheddar Sauce

 

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Serves: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

• FOR THE CHEDDAR SAUCE:
• 1 to 1½ cups evaporated milk
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
• FOR THE MEAT:
• Olive oil
• 1 pound chuck steak, sliced very thin
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large onions, caramelized (click here for instructions) and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Butter, for serving
• Rolls, for serving

Instructions

1. For the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup evaporated milk over medium heat until hot but not yet boiling. In a small bowl, toss together the cheese, cornstarch, and ground mustard. Turn the heat on the evaporated milk down to a very low heat, then whisk in cheese until melted. Mixture will thicken as it warms. Keep warm, and thin with a little more evaporated milk if the mixture gets too thick.
2. For the meat: Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or other skillet. Season beef with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, add meat and sear evenly until browned. This should only take a few minutes. Once beef is just browned, add caramelized onions, Worchestershire sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine and cook until liquid is evaporated and onions are warm, about another minute.
3. Split rolls down the middle and spread the inside cut edges with butter. Place under broiler and toast until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Scoop beef into toasted rolls, then top with white cheddar sauce. Serve.

Notes

For the freezer: uncooked sliced meat, caramelized onions, and grated white cheddar can be frozen separately in small freezer bags to cut out the prep time.

Source: Sauce adapted from Serious Eats.

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