A cheesesteak is peppers, onion, shaved beef and melted cheese. This keeps all four and swaps the roll for cheese tortellini, which is the only substitution the dish makes.
The steak is seared and then set aside while the vegetables cook. It only rejoins the pot for the last twenty to thirty minutes, alongside the tortellini, so it does not spend two hours turning grey.
Why This Recipe Works
- Searing shaved steak quickly gives it browned edges that two hours in liquid would never produce.
- Two hours on Low is enough to soften a sliced onion and a red pepper into something sweet.
- Refrigerated tortellini cooks in twenty to thirty minutes on High, which is why the heat is switched rather than extended.
- Provolone scattered on and covered for five to ten minutes melts into sheets rather than dissolving into the sauce.
Ingredient Notes
- Shaved beef steak
- One pound. Shaved rather than sliced or cubed — it is a cheesesteak component and cooks in minutes.
- Refrigerated cheese tortellini
- Twenty ounces. Refrigerated rather than dried, which is what the twenty-to-thirty-minute window assumes.
- Provolone
- Six ounces, torn or shredded. It is the cheesesteak cheese and stays visible on top.
How to Make It
Sear the steak
Quickly sear the shaved steak in the oil just until browned at the edges; transfer it to a plate.
Cook the vegetables on Low
Add the onion, red pepper, broth, Worcestershire and garlic powder to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours.
Tortellini and steak on High
Switch to High, stir in the tortellini and browned steak, and cook 20 to 30 minutes until the tortellini is tender.
Melt the provolone
Scatter the provolone over the top, cover 5 to 10 minutes until melted, and finish with parsley.
Sear, Soften, Then Cook the Pasta
Nothing in this recipe cooks for the whole time. Each of the three components has its own stage, and only the vegetables are in the pot from the start.
Stage 1 of 3
The sear - minutes, on the stove
Steps 1–1 of 4
A pound of shaved steak into a tablespoon of hot oil, just until the edges brown, then straight onto a plate. It is set aside, not cooked through, because it has 20 to 30 minutes in the cooker still to come.
- Sear the steakQuickly sear the shaved steak in the oil just until browned at the edges; transfer it to a plate.
Stage 2 of 3
The LOW stage - the vegetables
Steps 2–2 of 4
Sliced onion and red pepper with 1/2 cup of beef broth, Worcestershire and garlic powder, 2 hours on LOW. The vegetables soften and sweeten and the small amount of liquid takes on their flavour.
- Cook the vegetables on LowAdd the onion, red pepper, broth, Worcestershire and garlic powder to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours.
Stage 3 of 3
The HIGH stage - the pasta and the cheese
Steps 3–4 of 4
Cooker to HIGH, 20 oz of refrigerated cheese tortellini and the browned steak stirred in for 20 to 30 minutes, then 6 oz of provolone scattered over and covered 5 to 10 minutes to melt. Parsley last.
- Tortellini and steak on HighSwitch to High, stir in the tortellini and browned steak, and cook 20 to 30 minutes until the tortellini is tender.
- Melt the provoloneScatter the provolone over the top, cover 5 to 10 minutes until melted, and finish with parsley.
Success Tips
- Sear the steak fast and hot. It should have browned edges, not be cooked through.
- Resist adding broth when the tortellini goes in. It releases moisture as it cooks.
- Let the provolone melt under the lid rather than stirring it in, so it stays visible.
Serving Ideas
Six servings with the red pepper, shaved steak, cheese tortellini and melted provolone all visible, finished with chopped parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add more broth?
No. Half a cup is what the recipe uses. More liquid turns this into a soup, which it is not.
Can I use dried tortellini?
The recipe is written for refrigerated tortellini and its 20-to-30-minute cook on High.
Can I use mozzarella instead of provolone?
Provolone is one of the defining visible components and stays as written.
