Tailgate cheesesteaks for 8: thin-shaved ribeye and soft onions chopped together on a griddle, topped with melted provolone or warm cheese sauce and tucked into hoagie rolls. Do the slicing at home and the cooking takes about 30 minutes at the lot, which matters at Lincoln Financial Field, where tailgating ends 45 minutes after kickoff.
Feeds: 8 sandwiches · Hands-on: about 45 min · Total: about 1 hour at home, mostly freezing the beef, plus about 30 min at the lot
Home gear: a sharp chef's knife and a sheet pan for freezing the beef
Pack for the lot
- Beef, in 4 flat bags, at the bottom of the cooler
- Sliced onions
- Provolone, or the jar of cheese sauce, in the cooler
- Hoagie rolls
- Peppers and ketchup, if using
- Oil, salt and pepper
- Propane griddle (or a griddle plate for the grill) and a full tank
- 2 flat metal spatulas and a scraper
- Small saucepan, for the cheese sauce
- Instant-read thermometer
- Foil, for wrapping
- Trash bag and paper towels
Lot notes
- The Lincoln Financial Field rule: the Eagles guide says neither the stadium's nor the Eagles' current pages publish a grill rule for the lots, so there's no official answer. Call Fan Services at 267-570-4400 before you pack a griddle. Lots Q through X are parking only, and tailgating ends 45 minutes after kickoff.
- If the griddle stays home: cook everything at home, build the sandwiches, wrap each one tightly in foil and pack them in a towel-lined empty cooler. Eat them within 2 hours of cooking, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F.
- Fuel: a 2-burner propane griddle handles 2 sandwiches per batch. A standard 20 lb tank is more than enough.
- Doneness: shaved ribeye is a whole-muscle cut, and USDA puts whole cuts of beef at 145°F. Slices this thin are well past that by the time the pink is gone, and a minute under the cheese gives it a rest.
- Raw beef: keep it sealed at the bottom of the cooler and use separate tongs or spatulas for raw meat and finished sandwiches.
- Cleanup: scrape the griddle while it's warm, wipe it with an oiled paper towel and let it cool fully before it goes back in the truck. Grease goes home in a sealed can, never on the pavement.
Can you make cheesesteaks ahead for a tailgate?
The prep, yes: slice and bag the beef, slice the onions and make the cheese sauce the day before. For a lot with no cooking, cook and wrap the sandwiches at home and eat them within 2 hours.
How do you keep cheesesteaks hot at a tailgate?
Wrap each one in foil as it comes off the griddle and park the wrapped sandwiches on the cooler side of the griddle, or in a towel-lined empty cooler. Serve within 2 hours.
How much do you need for 20 people?
Multiply everything by 2½: 7½ lb ribeye, about 8 onions, 40 slices of provolone or 2½ batches of cheese sauce, and 20 rolls. Bag the beef in 10 bags of 12 oz and cook 2 sandwiches per batch, so plan on about an hour at the griddle.
Can you cook on a griddle at Lincoln Financial Field?
There's no official answer. Neither the stadium's nor the Eagles' current pages publish a grill rule for the lots, so call Fan Services at 267-570-4400 before you pack one, and have the cook-at-home plan ready.
Provolone or cheese sauce on a cheesesteak?
Both are Philly standards. Provolone melts right on the griddle with nothing extra to carry, and cheese sauce gives the gooey, everything-coated version.