Philly Cheesesteak Stew

(Courtesy of thecozyapron.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. very thinly sliced beef sirloin or ribeye
Salt 
Cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
Olive oil
2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
4 c. beef stock, hot
4 sourdough bread bowls, centers hollowed out and reserved for dipping
4 sliced provolone cheese

Directions:
Add the thinly sliced beef to a large bowl and season with a couple pinches of salt and cracked black pepper, plus the onion powder and toss to coat; sprinkle over 2 Tbsp. of the flour, and again, toss to coat.

Place a non-stick pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 3-4 Tbsp. of oil; once hot, add about half of the beef in, and allow it to sear for about a minute or two, then toss/stir, and allow it to sear/brown on the other sides for another 1-2 minutes, and remove onto a plate to hold (the meat may still be a little pink inside); repeat with the remaining half of the beef, and set aside.

Next, add a little more oil to the pot if needed, and add in the sliced onion, along with a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper; allow the onions to caramelize for roughly 6 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning them, until golden-brown and softened; then, add in the mushrooms, and allow them to continue sauteing with the onions for another 6 minutes or so, stirring frequently.

Add in the dried thyme and the garlic, and stir to incorporate.

Once the garlic becomes aromatic, sprinkle in the remaining 2 Tbsp. of flour (the tablespoons can be a bit heaping) over the onion/mushroom mixture, and stir well to combine and blend; next, slowly add in the hot beef stock, stirring all the while to avoid any flour lumps from forming.

Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow the stew to simmer gently for about 10 minutes, uncovered, just to "tighten" it up a bit, and to allow the flavors to marry, after 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and add the seared beef back in, along with any accumulated juices, and stir to combine; check to see if you need any additional salt or pepper.

To serve, ladle some stew into your hallowed out sourdough bowls, top with a slice of provolone, and place the bread bowls onto a foil-lined baking sheet until the broiler for just a couple moments to melt the cheese.

Serve with some of the hallowed out, left-over sourdough bread on the side, for dipping.