philly

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Vegan Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

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I used to work at Chili’s. Yeah the baby back rib place with the song.

This was back in college and I was extra broke and one of the perks was being able to eat after my shift for half price.

At the time Chili’s had a sandwich which I ate almost every day before it was taken of the menu. It was a chicken tejas sandwich and it was basically a chicken philly. I honestly could not tell you today what was in it. It has been 20 years ago…but I remember how much I loved it.

I remember the heartbreak I felt when they announced it was coming off the menu and eating the very last one our location had because one of the cooks and I were friends and they saved it for me.

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Clearly I have a real attachment to that sandwich, enough so to retell my pretty uninteresting story. But, I told it because that is why I decided to make this sandwich. I was thinking about the Tejas sandwich the other day and how a local food truck here has a vegan philly that I like but the “meat” is more of a mock beef. And at the end of the day, I really just wanted a vegan chicken philly. So I made one!!

Our easy vegan baked chicken is well, actually really easy to make, and since it makes 8 breasts, you can can really get a few meals out of it. The seitan freezes really well, so I normally cook up a batch on the weekend and pop it into the freezer or fridge to use throughout the week.

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And lets talk about he cheese!!! The easy vegan cheese sauce that you will want to eat on EVERYTHING!! I say to use half a batch and that means you can easily just make half a batch OR make a whole batch, use half, and save the other half for alllllllll kinds of things. Pizza cheese, lasagna , dipping chips, making quesadillas or enchiladas, dip your fries in it, put it on a burger, on some nachos, in a casserole. So many ways to use it up!

So in conclusion, if you love a chicken philly too, and want a solid vegan chicken philly, this might just be the recipe for you! Pretty easy, super delicious, gooey, cheesy, chicken-y, sandwich magic!

And if you ever had the joy of eating a Chilis Tejas sandwich (that would require you being over 25 years old, sooooooooo yeah, now I feel extra old) let me know!! Because if you ever did get to eat one then you know exactly what Im talking about!

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 batch Easy Vegan Baked Chicken

  • 1/2 batch Vegan All Purpose Cheese Sauce

  • 1-2 bell peppers (any color you like0

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

  • 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 4-6 hoagie sandwich rolls

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INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prepare vegan chicken breast as instructed. You will need to allow the chicken to rest. So prepare it in the morning or the day before. You willl use half a batch and can freeze refrigerate the other half for another quick meal, later!

  2. Once chicken has rested thinly cut 4 breast length wise.

  3. Thinly slice the onion and pepper. I used 2 peppers but I like peppers. One would work fine as well.

  4. Prepare the cheese sauce as instructed but wait to cook it until the sandwiches are made.

  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a few teaspoons of vegan butter or oil. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, chicken strips, spices, and soy sauce. Cook until the mushrooms are nice and soft.

  6. You can slice and heat the buns in the oven or slice and toast them up, open side down, in a buttered skillet. Or leave the bread not toasted, if you prefer.

  7. Evenly divide the vegan chicken Philly mixture between the buns. I was able to make 6 sandwiches with my filling.

  8. Add the cheese sauce to a pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of queso. Drizzle cheese sauce over the sandwiches to serve. You can also add some diced green onions if you like.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

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Vegan Philly Fries with Beer Cheese Sauce

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What do you get when you mix a Philly cheese steak and a plate of fries, then top it off with vegan beer cheese sauce.

The best thing you have ever eaten?!?!?! That is probably a stretch BUT, these fries are really, really, really good!

Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to skip the vegan beer cheese sauce. Any other cheese sauce is a sad second.

Also if you have never made homemade easy basic seitan, now is your chance! Its super easy to make and can be used a gazzilion different ways. You an also use any seitan you like in this recipe. Flank steak, chicken, whatever!

We even have a video on the site to help you see the process of making homemade seitan! Just look under the video section!

You only need half a batch for this recipe, so pop the rest in the freezer for another nights dinner! Look at you meal prepping without even trying!!

So lets hear it for Philly fries and beer cheese!! You many never use a bun for your Philly again! You may never use another cheese sauce again, either. But honestly, who could blame you!

INGREDIENTS:

  • Half batch of basic seitan, seitan chicken, or flank steak (around 3 cups sliced, refer to video if you are new to seitan)

  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms, white or baby portabello are fine

  • 1/2- 1 red or orange bell pepper

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • 1-2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 3-4 tablespoons coconut aminos

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 -2 cups vegan beer cheese sauce

  • 4 medium russet potatoes

  • Diced scallions (optional as garnish)

INSTURCTIONS:

  1. Wash the potatoes, peels on

  2. Cut potatoes into fries.

  3. FOR FRYING THE POTATOES, heat a few inches of oil in a deep skillet (I use a cast iron skillet)on medium heat.Once the oil is nice and hot, start adding small batches of the fries to the oil. Allow them to fry until nice a crisp, about 5 minutes. Once they are done frying, remove from oil and place on a wire cooking rack with some paper towels underneath. This will help them stay crispy while you finish frying the rest.

  4. FOR OVEN BAKING, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat fries in a few teaspoons of oil and place them on a cookies sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the fries are not over crowded. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until the fries seem crispy on one side. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, and turn the fries with a spatula or a pair of metal tongs. Put the fires back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the fries seem fully crisp.

  5. USING AN AIR FRYER: Lightly spray potatoes with some cooking oil, sprinkle with salt and place in the air fryer basket. ( you may have to fry in batches if you have a smaller air fryer) cook on 400 for 15 minutes, taking the basket out and shaking it around a few times during the cooking process. If the fries are not crispy after 15 minutes, put them back in for 5 more minutes or until they have reached the desired crispness.

  6. FOR THE PHILLY, Slice seitan into thin strips. Thinly slice onions and peppers. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few teaspoons of oil. Add onions, garlic, and pepper and sauté until the onions begin to get soft. Add the mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes. Add the seitan, all of the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the seitan is beginning to brown.

  7. To serve, stack fries on a plates, topping with Philly mixture and drizzled with Beer Cheese. You can also sprinkle some diced scallions if you like extra kick of onion.

    Serves 3-4

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, TRY THESE!

Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

Vegan BBQ Cheddar Fries with Slaw

Vegan Gorgonzola and Balsamic Glazed Chips

Funnel Cake Fries

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