A Note Before You Start
You'll need a 2" diameter round biscuit cutter. The number of bread rounds you can get from one slice of sandwich bread will depend on the size of bread you use. I used Freihofer's Premium Italian Bread and I was able to get three 2" rounds out of one slice of bread. I served my cheesesteaks topped with caramelized onions, which takes about 50 min to do, but if you're short on time, sauteed onions will be just fine too.
Ingredients
8 slices of white sandwich bread
1 large Vidalia onion
2 medium size portions of filet mignon steaks
1/3 lb of sliced deli cheese of your choice (I used a combination of American and Provolone.)
4 tsp of Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 TBSP of Olive Oil - divided
2 tsp of unsalted butter - divided
1-2 tsp of light brown sugar (optional)
Preparation
Step 1: Rinse the filets and pat dry. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will allow you to shave the steak very thinly.
Step 2: On a parchment lined sheet pan, lay the bread slices and using a 2" diameter biscuit cutter, cut out 24 rounds. You can reserve the remaining bread to make your own breadcrumbs or feed the birds!
Step 3: Cut the sliced deli cheese into quarters. Top each bread round with 2 pieces of cheese.
Step 4: Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then cut each half into quarters and thinly slice each quarter. Add 1 TBSP of olive oil and 1 tsp of butter to a medium saute pan and turn the heat on medium. Once the butter has melted and mixed with the olive oil, add the onion slices and coat well with the olive oil mixture. Continue to cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Once the onions are translucent turn the heat down to low and continue to saute. At this point you have the option to caramelize the onions which will take another 40 minutes on low heat. If you're short on time, you can just top the cheesesteak rounds with sauteed onions. If you choose to caramelize the onions you can add the brown sugar at this point. This will speed up the caramelization process but this step is optional. Continue cooking on low until the onions turn brown. Remove them from the pan to a paper towel lined dish to absorb any excess oil.
Step 5: Remove the steaks from the freezer (after 20 minutes) and thinly slice/shave the steaks. Season the shaved steak with the Montreal Steak Seasoning.
Step 6: In another saute pan, heat the remaining oil and butter. Add the steak and saute just until it loses its raw color; about 3-5 minutes. If you have extra cheese left, you can add it to the steak and stir until it's melted. Turn off the heat and remove the steak mixture. I put the cooked steak in a cuisinart and pulsed it a couple times just to reduce the size so it would sit nicely on the bread round but this is optional.
Step 7: Preheat the broiler to medium high. Broil the bread rounds just until the cheese mixture is melted and turn off the broiler. Top the rounds with the steak mixture and the onions. Serve immediately, or, re-warm in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes just before serving.