Philadelphians Have *Thoughts* About Joanna Gaines’s Take on the Philly Cheesesteak

The interior decorator and lifestyle personality shared a video of her preparing the iconic sandwiches to Instagram. “If you’re needing ideas this week for dinner, this is a quick one!” she captioned the post. “My version of Philly cheesesteaks from Magnolia Table Cookbook Vol 2 #crewapproved.”

The video shows her cooking onions and three types of bell peppers on a flattop grill, then thin-sliced steak. Next, she shows toasted hoagie rolls filled with the meat and veggies, which she tops with what looks like provolone cheese. Finally, she shows the finished handhelds with melted cheese on top.

Some folks expressed delight in the comments. (“We just made those a couple of weeks ago! They were delicious!”) But other commenters weren’t big fans of her riff on the O.G.

“I don’t know who gave the memo for green peppers in that jawn, but I’m here to tell you gently and nicely do NOT ever put green peppers in a cheesesteak. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk,” one commenter said.

“When I saw the veggies grilling, I thought you were making fajitas,” said another.

“This looks great, but not technically a Philly cheesesteak! It’s either wit or witout onions, no peppers,” a third chimed.

Some viewers also took issue with the cheese, rather than the addition of veg. “The cheese needs to commingle, not be lopped on top,” one wrote. Another simply inquired, “Cheese whiz?!”

As a Jersey-born, West Philly transplant, I’m not particularly stoked to see peppers on these sammies. For the uninitiated, many natives will tell you that the proper way to order is a Whiz wit, meaning with Cheez Whiz and onions (or Whiz witout if you don’t want onions). When the sandwich reaches you, the meat and cheese are inseparable; the steak is effectively smothered in the melted Whiz, and the juices of both are soaking and dripping into the bread. While real-deal cheesesteak spots certainly offer additions like peppers and mushrooms, it’s not the default.

That said, as a food editor, I’m not particularly bothered by this riff. At least half the fun of cooking is that you can personalize and tweak a dish however you’d like, and getting fixated on the authenticity or “correct” way to make something isn’t always helpful, especially given the never-ending evolution and fluidity of culinary traditions and trends. Gaines literally called it “my version,” and that it is.

To sum it up: “You eat your way. To each their own,” one commenter rebutted. “Yes, I understand. But it’s not a Philly cheesesteak, they are fajita sandwiches. I am sure they are lovely,” the original poster responded.

I see both sides…but if that sandwich materialized in front of me, I’d certainly take a bite.