Hawaiian Roll Philly Cheesesteak Sliders with Homemade Cheese Sauce

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These easy Philly cheesesteak sliders are made with Hawaiian rolls and a homemade cheese sauce. They’re the perfect game day appetizer and only take 25 minutes to make with just 5 ingredients.

We love Philly cheesesteaks, but sometimes they’re too big to enjoy alongside all our other favorite game day appetizers. So we made mini cheesesteaks – our Philly cheesesteak sliders on Hawaiian rolls. Because as Nicole says, “mini sandwiches are perfect for game day,” and I can’t disagree.

Key Ingredients

• Frozen steak – Slicing frozen steak allows you to slice it super thin, which is the secret to making it a true Philly cheesesteak. Ribeye is the best cut for cheesesteaks, but can be pricey. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, we’ve used both top round and flank steak with great results. 
• Slider rolls – Hawaiian rolls are hard to beat for sliders. They’re super fluffy, a little sweet, and just pair perfectly with anything you put on them. 
• Cheese sauce – We make a simple cheese sauce with American cheese and heavy cream. It’s basically a homemade, less processed, and tastier version of Cheez Whiz. It gives these sliders the perfect combination of gooey and cheesy.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

Step 1: Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice the steak as thin as you possibly can.The thinner it is, the better it’ll taste. This step takes some patience and time, but is well worth it. Thinly sliced steak is what makes cheesesteaks so special.

Step 2: Cook the steak over high heat in a little bit of cooking oil until fully browned. A pre-heated cast iron or stainless steel pan works best for this as it’ll give the steak a little char, and help any liquid that escapes evaporate quicker. Once the steak is done cooking, drain any excess liquid if needed.

Step 3: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until steaming over medium-low heat. Add in the American cheese and stir until it’s fully melted. The cheese sauce should be smooth and creamy, and thick enough to cling to a spoon or rubber spatula while falling off in ribbons. Salt to taste.

Step 4: Add the cooked steak to the bottom half of the slider rolls and pour the cheese sauce evenly over it.

Step 5: Close the sliders and serve hot.

Variations

You can customize these cheesesteak sliders just like you’d customize your cheesesteak. Here are some easy add-ons:

• Grilled peppers and onions
• Caramelized onions
• Fried onions
• Mushrooms – not our thing, but some people love ‘em
• A little bit of mayo
• A little bit of ketchup – Alex says yes, Nicole says no
• Make the cheese sauce with provolone instead of American cheese if that’s how you roll

Serving Suggestions

• The ultimate game day spread – For game days, we’re looking for the most delicious and decadent appetizers we have. So these sliders pair great with snacks like fried buffalo chicken dip bites and BBQ pulled pork nachos.
• Summer cookout/family parties – We like to make sure there’s something for everyone at gatherings, so we like to make our vegetarian southwest black bean sliders and soft pretzel bites alongside cheesesteak sliders.
• Appetizer dinner for two – Sometimes Nicole and I like to enjoy an appetizer dinner for just the two of us. We always end up with leftovers, but we like to make three things so we have enough variety. Some of our favorite apps to go with these sliders are our buffalo artichoke dip and crispy popcorn chicken.