Aug 31, 20227 min read

The Best Philly Chili (served in Brazilian cheese bread)!

Food should feel like a hug and this Philly Chili is the most comforting hug on a windy Fall day.

What is more Philly than a Philly cheesesteak and cream cheese? Those two Philly necessities set the tone for this chili along with roasted corn, black beans, jalapenos, and of course tomatoes.

The best parts about this chili? It's easily customizable, simple to make, and is a great party appetizer or game day treat!

Philly Chili is what happens when two cravings collide! My Philly Chili was originally served in a bowl (without the Brazilian Cheese Bread) after having a craving for both white chicken chili and steak. It was totally a, "Why can't I have both?" moment in the kitchen. I simply switched out the chicken for steak, played with a couple of veggie additions, and enjoyed my new hybrid chili.

I discovered the Brazilian Cheese Bread recipe I used originally on the back of a tapioca flour bag. Coincidentally, a couple of days later I planned to make my new favorite, Philly Chili. My first thought was this would tie together the Philly Chili dish with the Brazilian Cheese Puff acting as the roll and cheese on the Philly cheesesteak. After coming up with this little concept in my head, no one could tell me I wasn't Einstein! But not only was the concept great, the result tastes 10x better. It is rich and hearty in the best ways.

This Philly Chili recipe is simple to make in just a couple of hours. The biggest tip I have to offer to make this process smooth is to have all of your ingredients and materials prepped and nearby.

The materials needed:

A dutch oven with a lid would be best for searing and keeping all of the flavors in the same pot. If a dutch oven isn't available a normal pot works.
Stove/burner for chili.
Oven for Brazilian Cheese Bread.
A muffin pan for Brazilian Cheese Bread.
2 Forks to shred steak once cooked.
Mixing Spoon for chili.

The ingredients needed:

for the chili

2 lbs Flank Steak (chopped in 2-inch pieces)- Chopping the flank steak into 2 inch pieces makes it easier to shred once its done cooking. The flank steak could also be cooked whole and shredded once cooked.
8 oz. Cream Cheese- Having the cream cheese softened helps it to blend into chili smoother.
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (drained)- Freshly diced tomatoes can be used here.
8 oz. Roasted Corn Kernels- Purchase frozen or grill an ear of corm brushed with a little oil.
1 Can Black Beans (drained)- Freshly cooked and cooled black beans can be used here as well.
1 Onion (chopped)- Sweet onions are preferred but can be replaced with any onion that is preferred.
1 Jalapeno- Added for spice but can be replaced with half a sweet pepper to have a pepper flavor.
6 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)-If using pre-minced garlic, use about 6 tsp of the minced garlic.
2 Cups Heavy Cream- Coconut cream could be a replacement here.
1 Cup Chicken broth- For a deeper beef flavor, this broth can be replaced with beef broth.
1 Ranch Packet (1 oz)- If you prefer to make your ranch seasoning fresh: 1/2 c. Dry Buttermilk Powder, 1 tbsp. Dried Parsley, 2 tsp. Dried Dill Weed, 1 tsp. Freeze Dried Chives, 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder, 1 tbsp. Onion Powder, 1 tsp. Sea Salt, 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper (source: The Pioneer Woman)
2 Tbsp Butter- Unsalted butter is preferred here to control the salt content.
1 Tbsp Flour- All-purpose flour is recommended here but tapioca flour can be used here at the same ratio
2 Tbsp Chili Powder- Necessary for the chili!
2 Tbsp Salt- Try replacing 1/2 Tbsp with smoked salt.
2 Tbsp Olive Oil- Vegetable, avocado, and canola oil all work here as well.

for the Brazilian Cheese Bread

1 Egg- The egg is the binder in the rolls. I haven't experimented with replacing it yet in these rolls.
1/4 Cup Olive Oil- The olive oil really contributes to the flavor but other oils can be used here such as canola or avocado.
2/3 Cup Milk- The full fat content of Milk works well here. Heavy cream is too thick and almond milk may be to thin. Coconut milk may be a good alternative but the flavor may change slightly.
1 1/2 Cups Tapioca Flour- A must here for the lightness of the roll.
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese (grated)- Cheddar is the dominate flavor in the roll. Smoked gouda would work well here too.
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese- A later addition I made but works well to intensify cheese flavor.
1/4 Tsp Salt- If parmesan is not being used, add another 1/4 of salt to the batter.

How to make Philly Chili:

Toss the flank steak in a generous amount of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes. This starts to tenderize that steak as well as add flavor once it browns.
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the steak in the oil on both sides for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the steak. This is where the steak develops its flavor so the pot being HOT is important.
Add the onions and garlic, mix them around the pot and around the steak evenly, put a lid on, and turn down the heat to simmer for 40 minutes. The steak will release juices that will prevent the vegetables from burning around it. Check it only occasionally to keep in the heat. If cooking the steak in one whole piece start checking it around 30 minutes.
Remove the steak & veggies from the dutch oven (with the juices)and sit the dutch oven to the side(will be used for chili). Shred the steak with two forks (hold the piece of meat steady with one and while pulling the meat back with the other). If shredding a whole steak, it might be easy to cut the steak down first and then shred it.
In the dutch oven melt the butter, blend in the flour, and let cook for a couple minutes while continuously stirring. Stir in the cream cheese. Add the shredded steak, onions, and garlic and start to fold the contents of the pot together until the cream cheese is blended.
Add the diced tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, jalapeno, chicken broth, heavy cream, ranch seasoning, and chili powder to the pot and fold everything together. Add more chicken broth if a looser consistency or less richness is desired.
Simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally scraping the bottom to prevent burning and sticking.
While the chili is simmering: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with oil, butter, or nonstick spray. I use oil and a silicone muffin pan that made it easy to pop them out.
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the Brazilian Cheese Bread ingredients until blended. Stop to scrap the bottom and sides to incorporate all of the ingredients. If the batter comes out to be too thick just add 1 Tbsp of milk at a time to loosen it.
Fill the pan sections a little over halfway with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Once cooled, use a spoon to make an indent in the top being careful to not puncture the sides or bottom.
Serving Philly Chili: Either serve the rolls on the side of the chili or spoon the chili into the bread and create mini soup bowls.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

Add/ Replace ingredients with your chili favorites! Sweet pepper as an addition is so Philly!
I cooked my flank steak on the stovetop, but if you have the time slow roast the flank steak in the oven covered with foil after giving it a quick sear.
I included chicken broth because originally there was also going to be chicken in but I decided to omit it. Feel free to use whatever broth feels right to you!
Serve with chives and avocado slices to take the dish up a notch!
Either serve the rolls on the side or spoon the chili in the Brazilian Cheese Bread and make mini soup bowls.
The perfect party small bite or Gametime treat!

Philly Chili!

Ingredients:

for the chili

2 lbs Flank Steak (chopped in 2-inch pieces)

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Can Diced Tomatoes (drained)

8 oz. Roasted Corn Kernels

1 Can Black Beans (drained)

1 Onion (chopped)

1 Jalapeno

6 Cloves of Garlic (chopped)

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Cup Chicken broth

1 Ranch Packet (1 oz)

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Flour

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

2 Tbsp Salt (at least)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

for the Brazilian Cheese Bread

1 Egg

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2/3 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Cups Tapioca Flour

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese (grated)

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Tsp Salt

Instructions:

Toss the flank steak in a generous amount of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the steak in the oil on both sides for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the steak.
Add the onions and garlic, mix them around the pot and around the steak evenly, put a lid on, and turn down the heat to simmer for 40 minutes. The steak will release juices that will prevent the vegetables from burning around it. Check it only occasionally to keep in the heat.
Remove the steak & veggies from dutch oven (with the juices) and sit dutch oven to the side(will be used for chili). Shred the steak with two forks (hold the piece of meat steady with one while pulling the meat back with the other).
In the dutch oven melt the butter, blend in the flour, and let cook for a couple of minutes while continuously stirring. Stir in the cream cheese. Add the shredded steak, onions, and garlic and start to fold the contents of the pot together until the cream cheese is blended.
Add the diced tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, jalapeno, chicken broth, heavy cream, the ranch seasoning, and chili powder in the pot and fold everything together. Add more chicken broth if a looser consistency or less richness is desired.
Simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally scraping the bottom to prevent burning and sticking.
While the chili is simmering: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with oil, butter, or nonstick spray.
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the Brazilian Cheese Bread ingredients until blended. Stop to scrap the bottom and sides to incorporate all of the ingredients. If the batter comes out to be too thick just add 1 Tbsp of milk at a time to loosen it.
Fill the pan sections a little over halfway with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Once cooled, use a spoon to make an indent in the top being careful to not puncture the sides or bottom.
Serving Philly Chili: Either serve the rolls on the side of the chili or spoon the chili into the rolls and create mini soup bowls.
Serve warm and enjoy!