Poor Woman's Steak and Pepperoni Sub Sandwich

I have discovered that I LOVE meat and cheese and bread. Hot and melty is best. Therefore, it is no surprise that I fell in love with the sub sandwich, and, more specifically, the steak and pepperoni sub.

Back in the day, when M&M Meats had Philly Steak, and prices were cheaper overall for everything everywhere, and, admittedly, when I simply had more income, I made subs with Philly Steak and all the bells and whistles.

Now, struggling a bit to pay the bills, I still do want to enjoy my favourite indulgences. Again, I emphasize, prices have skyrocketed over the last two-years, so even ground beef is a luxury! But, I do make sure I always have ground beef in the freezer. If you have that, you have a meal!

So, on to my lazy-woman, poor-spinster recipe for 'steak' and pepperoni subs. Yep, 'steak' is in quotes, because, as you may have gathered from my preamble, I am now using ground beef for my steak. But these subs are delicious!!! I promise!

My 'Steak' and Pepperoni Sub

So, here's the recipe.

Poor Woman's Steak and Pepperoni Sub Sandwich

This comes as a two-pack

Makes 4 to 5 small (4 or 6 inch subs), well-stuffed.

Ingredients

• 400g (about 1 pound) lean ground beef 
• 50g pepperoni (I buy the two-pack for $5 at Maxi or Walmart, and use half of one pack - a quarter of the total)
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced  in long, narrow pieces
• 1 medium green pepper, sliced  in long, narrow pieces
• 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
• 3/4cup of water
• pepper to taste

Topping:

• Grated Mozzarella cheese
• Lettuce, chopped
• Tomato, chopped
• Kraft Zestly Italian Dressing

Submarine buns (I prefer to use smaller buns - 4 or 6 inch panninni).

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a deep pan or a pot
Add onions and green peppers, cook til slightly brown (about 2 mins). Add water; when water is boiling, add bouillon cube. This gives some flavour to the veggies. When these are mostly soft (I like mine really soft for my sandwich), add ground beef. When beef is nearly cooked through, add the pepperoni. Reduce heat and let simmer a while, until the water has been absorbed. Taste the mixture - if it needs salt, add some. Add pepper, too, to taste.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Slice your buns, along the top (not along the side)

Put a bit of cheese in each bun. Scoop meat mixture into each bun with a tablespoon, squeezing the meat down so the yummy fats soak into the bread.

Top with cheese.

Place in the oven for about 5 minutes - until cheese is melted and buns are crisp (but not hard).

When they are done, top the subs with lettuce and tomato, and squeeze the Kraft dressing over the top.

Serve hot!