California Philly Recipe

Make guacamole

Cut avocados in half, remove pits, and scoop flesh into a medium bowl. Add lime juice immediately and mash with a fork to your desired texture (slightly chunky recommended). Stir in chopped cilantro, finely diced red onion, minced jalapeño (if using), salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until assembly to keep fresh.

Prep vegetables and meat

Trim core from the green bell pepper, remove seeds, and slice into thin strips. Peel the onion and cut into thin slices. If your beef is not pre-sliced, partially freeze it for 20–30 minutes then slice thinly against the grain into strips.

Cook filling

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When butter foams, add the sliced green pepper and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Push vegetables to the side of the pan and add the thinly sliced beef in a single layer. Let it sear 1–2 minutes, then toss with vegetables. Add minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking until beef is just cooked through and vegetables are caramelized, 2–4 more minutes. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Melt cheese

Shred or slice pepper jack cheese if not pre-sliced. Evenly distribute the cheese over the beef and pepper mixture in the skillet. Cover the pan with a lid for 1–2 minutes to melt the cheese, or place the skillet briefly under a broiler-safe setting until cheese is bubbly and melted. Remove from heat.

Toast rolls

Split the hoagie rolls lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Spread softened butter lightly on the inside cut faces. Toast in a hot skillet or under a broiler for 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp; watch carefully to prevent burning.

Assemble sandwiches

Open each toasted roll, spread about 2–3 tablespoons of the prepared guacamole on the bottom half of each roll. Spoon an even portion of the hot beef, pepper, onion, and melted pepper jack mixture over the guacamole (about 1/4 of the filling per roll). If desired, add a few drops of hot sauce. Close the sandwich and serve immediately while hot.