Campfire Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Loaded with gooey melted cheese, tender roast beef, and sizzling peppers, this campfire Philly cheesesteak sandwich is the perfect foil packet feast!
This Philly cheesesteak sandwich is a family favorite and one of our most requested recipes for camping. If your camp crew is anything like my bunch of teenage boys, then this campfire meal is about to become your new best friend.
It’s delicious camping food that’s ridiculously easy to prep, packs major flavor, and brings everyone running to the picnic table faster than you can say “s’mores.”
If you are avid campers like we are, be sure to visit my Etsy Shop that is full of fun camping designs, or go to our new camping blog, Campfire Foodie, for even more great recipes!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This foil packet Philly cheesesteak sandwich recipe is a total game-changer for camping trips. It’s made with simple ingredients, feeds a crowd, and cooks up into a toasty, cheesy, beefy masterpiece that feels way fancier than it actually is.
Whether you’re serving it up next to a potato salad or just devouring it on its own, it’s one of those meals that turns campfire chaos into dinnertime magic. Bonus: clean-up is a breeze thanks to that handy aluminum foil. No dishes? Count me in.
This simple sandwich is what happens when comfort food meets the great outdoors. Think a hearty foil pack dinner stuffed with sizzling beef, bell peppers, and melty provolone—all toasted to perfection over the hot coals of a fire.
It’s the kind of recipe you make once and then absolutely must make every. single. trip.
This campfire sandwich recipe makes a hearty meal for the whole family when camping, but it can easily be made at home too! Simply bake the foil-wrapped Philly cheesesteak in the oven rather than over a campfire.
What is Philly Cheesesteak?
An authentic Philly cheesesteak is made with classic ingredients that can easily be found at the local grocery store.
- Green bell peppers
- Caramelized onions
- Cheese whiz
- Flank steak
- Amoroso rolls
We have used these to make this traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich, this delicious camp cooker Philly cheesesteak, and this easy tinfoil packet Philly cheesesteak recipe too.
I love how this famous sandwich can be adapted into an easy camping recipe! When ready to eat, simply slice the loaf into sandwich-sized servings.
Full of delicious, melty provolone cheese, this campfire Philly cheesesteak sandwich is sure to be a hit with the whole family. This camping sandwich is easily one of our favorite recipes!
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Our Camp Cooking Essentials
- A pie iron camp cooker makes cooking over the open fire super easy. Check out these 20+ Pie Iron Recipe Ideas for tons of camp cooker inspiration! Or visit my how to use a pie iron post for tips.
- Foil pie plates make aluminum foil packet meals even easier with the sturdy base that they provide.
- These grilling bags that I recently found are amazing! Simply add all of your ingredients to the bag at home, then throw it on the campfire or grill when camping in the great outdoors. Avoid the grill bags with plastic windows, though, as they melt.
- We love these BBQ cooking gloves because they make handling campfire food a whole lot safer!
Cheesesteak Sandwich Details
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to get started with this easy recipe.
- French bread – The fresher, the better!
- Butter – Margarine works too. It makes everything golden and fabulous.
- Garlic powder – Because garlic butter is always a good idea.
- Green bell pepper, sliced – Adds a juicy crunch and just enough freshness to balance out the richness.
- White onion, sliced – Sweet, soft, and caramelized to perfection. Your sandwich’s secret weapon.
- Sliced roast beef – Deli or homemade roast beef, it’s all about that tender, savory flavor.
- Provolone cheese, sliced – A slice of provolone cheese in every pocket equals ooey, gooey, melty bliss.
Instructions
1. In a small cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add green pepper and onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
Tip: I often do this at home and simply pack the mixture in an airtight container in the cooler for camping.
2. Mix together the 1/4 cup butter and garlic powder to create garlic butter.
3. Next, cut slices into the entire loaf of French bread about ½” apart, but don’t go all the way through. Butter the insides of every second slice.
4. Now drop a large spoonful of the veggie mixture into every second slice.
Hot peppers would also make a great addition!
5. Then stuff the opening with several slices of roast beef.
6. Top that with one slice of provolone cheese per sandwich slot.
7. Wrap the entire loaf in aluminum foil. You may need to use two layers to reach all the way around the sandwich.
Tip: I like to spray the inside of the foil with non-stick cooking spray so that the ooey, gooey melty cheese doesn’t all stick to the inside of the packet.
8. Place the package near the hot coals of a fire (but not IN the fire) or on the grate above the fire.
Cooking Tips
You want to heat the sandwich all the way through so that the cheese is fully melted and the loaf is heated through. This usually takes twenty minutes for us over the campfire.
Alternately you can put it in a BBQ on low or in the oven to warm the ingredients. We cook it in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
9. To serve, simply slice all the way through the bread to cut it into individual Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
Would you just look at all of that melted cheese?! This easy Philly cheesesteak recipe is next level delicious, seriously!
Tips and Tricks
- Pack along a sharp knife to make slicing the loaf clean and easy.
- Prep the veggie mix at home and store it in the cooler to save time at the campsite.
- Spray the inside of the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray to keep cheese from sticking.
- Use white American cheese or Cheez Whiz if you want to switch up the flavor profile.
- Wrap the sandwich tightly for best results—this keeps all that gooeyness contained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in the oven instead of over a fire?
Yes! Bake at 350°F for 20–30 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melty.
What’s the best substitute for French bread?
You can use hoagie rolls, a sourdough loaf, or even Amoroso rolls for a more traditional vibe.
Can I use a different kind of beef?
Totally—thinly sliced sirloin steak or ribeye steak works just as well as deli roast beef.
What cheeses can I swap for provolone?
Try white American cheese, mozzarella, or a schmear of cream cheese for a creamy twist.
How do I serve this at the campsite?
Just slice all the way through the bread to serve as individual sandwiches.
If you think that this camping recipe is great, be sure to poke around the blog for many, many more camping recipes! Or try one of these options.
Must-Try Camping Recipes
- Smoked hot dogs
- Foil packet vegetables
- Cheesy campfire dip
- Grilled corn
- Smoked burgers
- Camp cooker cinnamon buns
This campfire Philly cheesesteak sandwich recipe is truly one of our favorite recipes for a reason. It’s a top camping food, an epic foil packet meal, and a total win with the kids.
So go ahead, add it to your next camping trip menu or make it at home and pretend you’re in the great outdoors.
If you love this easy campfire Philly cheesesteak recipe, please give it a five-star review and help me share it on Facebook and Pinterest!
Recipe
Campfire Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread sliced
- ¼ cup butter salted
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 small white onion sliced
- 1 Tbsp butter salted
- 500 g sliced roast beef
- 250 g provolone cheese sliced
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add pepper and onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Mix together the 1/4 cup butter and garlic powder to create garlic butter.
- Next, cut slices into the loaf of bread, about 1/2" apart and not all the way through to the bottom, using a sharp knife. Butter the inside of every second slice.
- Now drop a large spoonful of the veggie mixture into every second slice.
- Then stuff the opening with several slices of roast beef.
- Layer that with a slice of provolone cheese.
- Wrap the entire loaf in aluminum foil. You may need to use two layers to reach all the way around the sandwich.
- Place the package near the hot coals of a fire (but not IN the fire) or on the grate above the fire. Cook until cheese melts and loaf is heated through, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, simply slice all the way through the bread to cut it into individual Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.
Notes
- Pack along a sharp knife to make slicing the loaf clean and easy.
- Prep the veggie mix at home and store it in the cooler to save time at the campsite.
- Spray the inside of the aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray to keep cheese from sticking.
- Use white American cheese or Cheez Whiz if you want to switch up the flavor profile.
- Wrap the sandwich tightly for best results—this keeps all that gooeyness contained.
Nutrition
I m going to have to try this one! Thanks for shraing!
Made the Philly cheese steak and what I would do different is slice the bread lengthwise and butter both sides and place all the ingredients across the bread and then wrap and heat. Also might be good to use a grate or something to get it off the coals as it got a little burnt on the bottom. Otherwise tasted great and was easy to make.
Thanks for the tip!
This looks delicious! How do you serve this? Cut it, pull apart……?
Is it messy to eat?
I cut it and serve on plates with a fork :)
How many does one loaf typically serve?
Six I would say :)
Why oyster sauce? Can I not use that? Will it lose flavor?
You can skip the oyster sauce and add a marinade of choice instead :)
We will be traveling over 1,400 miles for our camping trip here in a few weeks. Can this dish be made in advance, frozen, and then heated to serve?
Thanks!
I’m not sure, I think that the bread may get soggy… Happy travels!
Not sure how you can serve this the way its shown; seems like having every slice filled would make a huge mess out on the campsite. What I did to make this work was fill in every other slice; it made the loaf more a series tear-apart sandwiches. It took forever to heat up though, probably around 45 min if memory serves, but when it was done, it was all very well-contained and didn’t require utensils (of which there were a marked absence).
Made this at home in the oven. Terribly hard to eat even at home. I recommend either cutting straight down the middle like a traditional sandwich or doing what the other reviewer said and filling every other slice. Flavor was very good though!
Try slicing the bread between the filled areas. This creates individual sandwiches with a clean top & bottom to hold onto.
I was thinking the same thing, I would do every other slice so you can eat it like a sandwich when you pull it apart…
Fill every slice, but after it’s baked, slice it between the filled areas. This creates individual sandwiches with a clean top & bottom to hold onto.
You’re right, this is an impossible design to eat. The first time we tried it, it was a huge mess. The second time we filled every other slice and that worked out well, but as we were trying to stuff the slices we thought it would have been so much easier to just slice it lengthwise like a normal sandwich, put the filling in the middle and then slice portions after heating. You could slice in between the filled sections like some have suggested, but only if you left a large enough portion of bread between each filled slice. This tasted very good, but was a needlessly messy design.
We slice it between the filled sections for individual portions :)
That’s the first thing I thought when I saw the picture – how do you serve and eat this? Maybe it should have mentioned to slice through the bread between fillings. But that seems like it might take more skill with a knife than I possess. Where would you grip it to make the cuts? Wouldn’t it flatten out the bread as you cut it? What if you don’t cut it just right and the filling oozes through the thin spots? LOL! Hey, if it can go wrong it will with me! I agree that to fill it lengthwise would be easier and just as good. But it sure looks good for a pin the way it’s done here. It is a great idea and one I will try on our next camping trip.
I made individual ones with small rolls very tasty allergic to oyster sauce made with chilli mix
Yum!
Is there a way I can make this at home in my oven? if so, what temp and how long should I cook it?
Sure! I would say 350 for 30-45 minutes. Let me know how it works out!
This was a fantastic camping meal that got rave reviews from our friends and family. I doubled and made two loaves and it fed 8 plus there was enough for our teenage boys to have seconds. No left overs! My family loved it so much I’m making it again tonight at home. People are not understanding the idea to cut between the filled slices. My tip: include a picture of that final step! :)
YAY!! Thank you for sharing – totally doing that next time we make this recipe <3
This was delicious! Ho I did it, though, was slice it lengthwise and buttered both sides. I layered the meats insides long it and then cut it into 8ths. Instead of a campfire, I wrapped it in foil and stuck it into the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Came out to be 382 calories a serving. Will definitely be making it again!
Perfect! Thanks so much for sharing <3