A fun place to visit called Harpoon Eddies, it's in Sylvan Beach in Upstate New York.
This was the perfect Italian sandwich in the 80s and what I always ordered on that menu!
As the years went on I love the filling for the sandwich so much I used it for many other things.
It's perfect for calzone fillings, topping for pizza, mixed with your favorite pasta, or even this fabulous sandwich.
You can make this and freeze it also for future dishes.
Since I moved to Florida in the early 90s, I recreated to the best of memory how it tasted and it was my all-time favorite sandwich in the early 1980s.
The sandwich was quite messy but fantastic and loaded with flavors.
I love copycat recipes and make quite a few didn't one from restaurants we love like the Burger King Whaler from that time period also.
Scroll down to the recipe card to print this off.
Italian American Sandwich
Even though this establishment is still there on the beachside in sylvan beach, I no longer see it listed on the menu.
I just had recreated from memory and it's pretty much dead-on in flavors.
We love this saucy messy sandwich and it's also great to serve many other ways I will give you suggestions below.
Serving Suggestions
- Use this over rice
- Use this over pasta
- Use this as a covered sandwich with bread
- Use this over baked over mashed potatoes
Tips
- Use a good grade wine that you would drink or add chicken broth as a substitute for no alcohol
- Use fresh tomatoes when possible or canned whole tomatoes pureed
- Slow Cookers, Instant pot can all be used make sure meat is browned first
- This sauce freezes well for up to 6 months
- Always use hard crusted rolls not soft hamburger buns for the best sandwich
Other Meats To Try:
- Sliced pork
- Loose hamburger
- Venison meat
- Cube steaks
- Sliced chicken breast
The Sauce
Always Make sure to have the best Italian Bread or Hard Rolls available.
Garlic Bread is another delicious addition to this sandwich if you can't find Italian Hard Rolls
A good loaf of Italian bread makes this sandwich the best it could possibly be.
This cabernet sauce is so versatile remember you can use any meat you like.
Let me know in the comments how you like your recipe and if you try any other ways to make this.
Pin for later

Sausage Peppers and Mushrooms in Cabernet Sauce
Yield: 8
Prep time: 10 MCook time: 35 MTotal time: 45 M
A delicious Italian American sandwich made with sausage, peppers and mushrooms simmering in a delicious cabernet sauce.
Ingredients:
- 3 or 4 Bell peppers sliced and cleaned and seeded
- 2 lbs of Italian sausage any heat, cut into slices or loose (or use chicken breast sliced, steak, pork, venison steaks or any loose ground meats or even leftover meatballs)
- 2 pounds pureed plum tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes pureed
- 1 pound baby Bella mushrooms or whatever kind you like
- 1 sliced onion
- olive oil
- 1/2 cup Cabernet wine or chicken broth if nonalcohol is desired
- 4 whole cleaned garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- Fresh basil leaves 2 or 3
- Optional toppings: grated cheese, chopped parsley, chopped Kalamata olives, minced prosciutto, mozzarella, chopped pepperoni, shredded provolone, long hots sauteed
Instructions:
- In a large saucepan 5 quart, saute the sausage in 3 tablespoon olive oil until browned on both sides around 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, peppers, and mushrooms ( also onions if using).
- Saute for around 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, wine, herbs, spices salt pepper to taste.
- Add wine, chicken broth, or water.
- If it starts to thicken too much add more water until the meat is cooked around 35 to 40 minutes.
- This can also be done in an instant pot or slow cooker searing the meat first and cooked for 35 minutes instant pot and 4 to 6 hours on a high setting in the slow cooker.
- Serving suggestions: Cooked pasta to package instructions, cooked rice to package instructions, on hard crusted Italian bread sub or hard rolls adding melted cheese., mashed or baked potatoes
Pin for later
Try Some Other Great Italian American Ideas:
Antipasto Salad Submarine
Garlic Parmesan Burgers
Superbowl Recipes
Disclosure: This recipe was posted in 2016, edited and re-published in 2020.
No comments
Remember to use the search option for a recipe you're looking for and thanks for all your kind words and support. We love our readers all the best Claudia