The Meat

The meat used is thinly sliced rib-eye or top round although other types are often used.The steak is placed on a lightly oiled griddle at medium temperature. The slices are quickly browned and then scrambled into smaller pieces with a flat spatula. Often, the steak is placed on top of already slightly fried onions to prevent the steak from becoming over-cooked. Thicker slices are also sometimes used. Some vendors omit the chopping, serving their sandwiches with these slices of steak in whole form.

Some locations with large volumes will griddle the steak in a large pile, chopping and flipping the steak with a large metal spatula until cooked to a light brown. The thicker pieces of steak, due to their need to be cooked more thoroughly, will be set in a single layer on the griddle and flipped until brown.

A cheesesteak may include other optional ingredients such as fried onions, sautéed green peppers, and mushrooms. Some menus include mayonnaise, hot sauce, ketchup, or pizza sauce (a Pizza Steak, often with mozzarella as the cheese).

In Philadelphia most cheesesteak places use Amoroso or Vilotti-Pisanelli rolls.One source writes that "a proper cheesesteak consists of provolone or Cheez Whiz slathered on an Amoroso roll and stuffed with thinly shaved grilled meat,"while a reader's letter to an Indianapolis magazine, lamenting the unavailability of good cheesesteaks, wrote that "the mention of the Amoroso roll brought tears to my eyes."After commenting on the debates over types of cheese and "chopped steak or sliced," Risk and Insurance magazine declared "The only thing nearly everybody can agree on is that it all has to be piled onto a fresh, locally baked Amoroso roll."

The Cheese

Cheesesteaks should have a creamy cheese taste that does not dominate the sandwich.White American cheese, Mozzarella, provolone, and Cheez Whiz are the most frequently used cheeses.

Cheez Whiz, first marketed in 1952, was not yet available for the original 1930 version, but it is now a common option.A 1986 New York Times article called Cheez Whiz "the sine qua non of cheesesteak connoisseurs."In a 1985 interview, Pat Olivieri's nephew Frank Olivieri said that he uses "the processed cheese spread familiar to millions of parents who prize speed and ease in fixing the children's lunch for the same reason, because it is fast."

American cheese is a favoritedue to its mild flavor and medium consistency. Some places pre-melt the American cheese to achieve the creamy consistency, while others just put freshly cut slices over the meat, letting it slightly melt under the heat.Provolone is also popular. One Los Angeles reporter claimed that "provolone is the cheesesteak cheese, preferably an extra-sharp provolone with a distinctly savage bite."

The proprietor of Geno's considers provolone or American cheese more authentic, but Pat's introduction of Cheese Whiz allowed it to quickly become a "topping of choice."

Swiss, Cheddar, and mozzarella are available at some locations.During his presidential campaign in 2003, John Kerry was ridiculed for attempting to order the sandwich with Swiss.A food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer explained: "In Philadelphia, that’s an alternative lifestyle".