Philly Cheesesteak Tortellini Bake

Cheesesteak tortellini bake with ribeye, peppers, onions, and a creamy provolone and American cheese sauce. Made on the griddle for an easy weeknight dinner.

Cheesesteaks are a griddle staple around here. Tortellini is too. So one night I asked the obvious question: why not both?

This cheesesteak tortellini bake is what happened. Cheese-stuffed tortellini, thin-sliced ribeye, peppers, onions, and mushrooms, all tossed in a silky provolone and American cheese sauce. Then it goes into a buttered cast iron skillet, gets a crispy panko topping, and bakes right on the grill. It’s comfort food in one pan, and it’s the kind of weeknight dinner that gets the whole family to the table on time.

I cooked this one on the Char-Broil Commercial Series 3-in-1 gas grill, using the griddle attachment for the steak and veggies, the side burner for the pasta and cheese sauce, and the grill itself to bake it. Don’t have an outdoor setup? No problem. You can make the whole thing inside in a skillet. Just cook everything in batches.

If you’re a cheesesteak fan like me, check out some of our other favorite cheesesteak recipes: Authentic Cheesesteak with Roasted Long Hot Peppers, Philly Cheesesteak Sliders, Cheesesteak Fries with Homemade Cheese Sauce, and Smashed Philly Cheesesteak Tacos.

Ingredients and Notes

• cheese tortellini – You’ll need the family-sized pack (about 20 oz) for this recipe. Look for the refrigerated kind, usually found near the specialty cheeses. I used five-cheese tortellini, but use whatever you like. Fresh refrigerated tortellini cooks fast and holds up better in the bake than frozen.
• ribeye steak – We’re paying homage to the Philly here, so ribeye is the move. Pop it in the freezer for 35-45 minutes before slicing it thin, against the grain. Semi-frozen steak slices way thinner and easier. If your ribeye is super fatty, you can trim off large chunks of fat and melt it down on the griddle to use as a natural tallow to sauté your vegetables.
• mushrooms – Optional, and definitely not included in an authentic Philly cheesesteak sandwich. But this is a pasta bake, and we like mushrooms with our pasta.
• bell pepper and onion – Two vegetables that are generally more accepted in a Philly.
• heavy cream– The base of the cheese sauce. Heavy cream holds up to heat and keeps the sauce silky.
• white American cheese – Deli-sliced white American melts smoother than just about anything. It’s what keeps the sauce creamy instead of grainy. Be sure to get it freshly sliced from the deli counter, not the individually packaged slices.
• provolone cheese – Brings that slightly sharp, classic cheesesteak flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce – Adds some beefy, savory notes to the cheese sauce.
• prepared horseradish (optional) – I know it sounds crazy. It’s not enough to taste like horseradish. We use this often as a flavor enhancer, especially with beef.
• butter – Melted butter for the panko topping, plus a little to grease your baking dish.
• panko breadcrumbs – Japanese breadcrumbs get crispier than regular ones. That’s what you want on top.
• Salt and pepper – For the veggies and steak.

How to Make Cheesesteak Tortellini

• Prep your ingredients. Freeze the ribeye for about 35-45 minutes, depending on thickness. Once it’s semi-frozen, slice it as thin as you can against the grain. Trim a chunk of fat off the ribeye, dice it small, and set it aside for the griddle.
• Prep the vegetables. Thinly slice the bell pepper and onion, and slice the mushrooms. Get everything prepped before you fire anything up. This dish moves fast once it starts.
• Start the cheese sauce. On the side burner (or stovetop), warm 1 cup of heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. Watch it closely. You want it hot, right up to the edge of a simmer, but never boiling.

• Melt in the American cheese. Once the cream is up to temp, add the white American a few slices at a time, stirring until it’s fully melted and smooth.
• Melt in the provolone. Add the 6 slices of provolone and stir until melted. Check the consistency. It should be loose and pourable, not thick. If it’s thick now, it’ll turn to mud once it hits the pasta and bakes. Thin it with a splash more cream if needed, then pull it off the heat.

• Boil the tortellini. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini just until al dente. Check the package time and pull it a minute early. It’s going to cook again in the oven, so don’t overdo it here.
• Toast the panko. While the water heats, melt ¼ cup of butter in a small pan on the grill (careful, that pan gets hot). Stir in the panko until it’s soaked up the butter, then set aside.
• Sauté the vegetables. Heat the griddle to medium-high. Add the diced ribeye fat and let it render down. Throw down the peppers, onions, and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they’re tender with a little char on them. That char is flavor. Push them to a cooler zone.

• Cook the steak. Lay the sliced ribeye on the griddle in that rendered fat. Don’t season it yet. Salt draws out moisture, which is exactly why we salt vegetables, and exactly why we don’t salt the steak until it’s almost done. Cook it quick, just until it’s barely done. A few pink pieces are okay since it’s baking again. Season with salt and pepper at the end, then mix it with the vegetables.

• Combine everything. Drain the tortellini and add it to a big bowl or pan with the steak and veggies. Pour most of the cheese sauce over top and toss until everything is coated. Save a little sauce for the top.

• Assemble the bake. Butter a cast iron skillet or casserole dish well. Spoon in the tortellini mixture, drizzle the reserved cheese sauce over top, and sprinkle the buttered panko evenly across it.
• Bake it on the grill. Remove the griddle plate and set your grill up for indirect heat: one side off, the other on medium-low, aiming for around 350°F with the lid closed. Set the skillet over the cooler side. About halfway through, rotate the skillet so it cooks evenly. You’ll see the hot side bubbling first. Bake until the sauce is bubbling all the way across and the panko is golden, about 15–20 minutes.
• Rest and serve. Let it sit a few minutes so the sauce settles, then dig in.

Making It Indoors

No griddle, no problem. Make the cheese sauce and boil the tortellini on the stovetop. Then use a large skillet for the rest, working in batches: render the fat and cook the vegetables first, remove them, then sear the steak in the same pan. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of searing it, so don’t rush it. Assemble in a buttered oven-safe skillet and bake at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.