Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Braid

Lately, I've been seeing a certain sandwich braid floating around Pinterest (no brands being named here because I am not a fan of their version).  It has chicken and broccoli in it.  But I wanted something that was a little more sandwichy (is that even a word?).  And immediately the thought of Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.  Oh.My.Yum.

Think about it, steak (or in this case deli sliced roast beef), sauteed peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and ooey-gooey cheese.  A lot of it.  Mmmmmmmmm.  Cheese.  All of the fillings wrapped up neatly in a light bread dough.  And leftovers reheat so well.  It's really a perfect dinner-with-leftovers-for-lunch combination.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Braid

Ingredients:

1 recipe crescent dinner rolls
4 Tbs. butter
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb. thinly shaved roast beef
10 oz. Velveeta White Cheese, cut into small cubes
10 slices provolone cheese
1 egg + 1 Tbs. water (egg wash)

Directions:

1. Prepare crescent dinner roll dough through the first rise.

2. In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbs. butter.  Sautee mushrooms.  Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon or spatula and set aside.  Melt remaining butter and add onion, pepper, and garlic. Sautee until vegetables are tender.  Remove vegetables with tongs and set side.  Using tongs, toss roast beef in hot skillet for a few seconds, just to lightly brown.

3. Roll dough out into a large rectangle, approximately 24x18 inches, about 1/4 inch thick.  Measure dough into thirds, lengthwise, and make light marks in the dough to serve as a guide.  On opposite sides of rectangle, cut 1 inch strips about 6 inches or to the marks.  Layer fillings (I layered half the meat, half the vegis, all the cheeses, the remaining vegis, then the remaining meat) in center of dough, leaving about 1 inch empty on edges.

4. Begin "braiding" the sandwich - fold ends of center over the fillings.  Then fold one of the strips on the left
at an angle over fillings.  Repeat with right side.  Repeat with remaining strips, alternating sides, until braid is finished.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush braid with egg wash.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay braid on pan (you may have to lay it diagonally so it will fit).  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serves 8-10