Stuffed Pepperoni Chicken Parmesan

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Stuffed Pepperoni Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan kicked up a notch for sure. Just look at those quality ingredients. If you haven’t heard of a Roja sauce before you're in for a treat. It’s a south American tomato salsa made by roasting the ingredients until they begin to char. I like using a cast-iron skillet to roast the vegetables in a hot oven.

The char adds a great depth of flavor that really makes this sauce so special. This sauce/salsa is so good you could put it on a ton of different recipes. I like pairing it with any egg dish. For me, usually, I add it to scrambled eggs. People will not believe it until you try it for yourselves. #sogood

Ok, we have pepperoni, which we all love. In addition, a pan-fried stuffed chicken breast with a crunch exterior of Italian bread crumbs and panko to give the recipe a great texture. And the fantastic Roja sauce and the special ingredient that tipped the scale over to amazing-town, Gouda cheese.

Gouda (English: /ˈɡaʊdə/ (listen), Dutch pronunciation:  (listen); Dutch: Goudse kaas, “cheese from Gouda“) is a mild, yellow cheese, originating from the Netherlands, made from cow’s milk. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar kinds of cheese produced in the traditional Dutch manner.

Roja Sauce Recipe

The key to a great tomato sauce is the tomatoes. You’ll see plenty of tomato sauce recipes calling for Roma tomatoes which is an interesting tomato.

In the United States, San Marzano tomatoes are the genetic base for another popular paste tomato, the Roma tomato. The Roma is a cross between a San Marzano and two other varieties (one of which was also a San Marzano hybrid) and was introduced by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service in 1955

I selected vine-ripen tomatoes. Which are noted for their juiciness, good sugar level, nice acidity, and lack of mealiness. (large tomatoes in the photo)

The second tomato selected is noted as one the best tomatoes in the world and is priced well these days. San Marzano (small tomatoes in photo)

How To Make Homemade Roja Sauce

The key is sourcing the very best tomatoes you can find. Shop places like your local farmers market, Central Market, to Whole Foods.

 

Our Ingredients for Roasted Roja Sauce

Vine Ripened Tomatoes

The Very Special, World #1 Tomatoes: San Marzano Tomato

San Marzano tomatoes are thinner and more pointed.

The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter and less acidic.

Guajillo Chiles is the ingredient in my opinion that set this south American sauce off. Bring a nice smokey note to the sauce.

 

(chile guajillo in Spanish, meaning big pod) is the dried form of mirasol chili, a landrace variety of chile pepper of the species Capsicum annuum, and is the second-most commonly used dried chili in Mexican cuisine. after poblanos (ancho).^[1]

The Fresno Chiles of some fresh spice to the Roja sauce, but not in the way of overpowering heat/hotness.

It should not be confused with the Fresno Bell pepper. It is often confused with the jalapeño pepper but has thinner walls, often has milder heat, and takes less time to mature.

It is however a New Mexico chile, which is genetically distinct from the jalapeño and it grows point up, rather than point down as with the jalapeño. The fruit starts out bright green changing to orange and red as fully matured.

Additional ingredients for Roja sauce:

 

• Garlic
• Corn (Optional – helps lower the heat/spiciness )
• Large pinch of Salt
• Vidalia Onion

Preparing the ingredients for Roja Sauce

1. Remove the rib and seeds from the peppers/chilies. (you could leave the seeds and rib on if you like very hot sauces).
2. Next, remove the garlic cloves, but leave the peels on to help the garlic not burn.
3. Cut up the Vidalia onion, removing the outer onion paper.
4. The tomatoes, add them to the pan.
5. I like using a cast-iron skillet.

Roast the Peppers & Onion & Garlic for a minimum of 30 minutes. I suggest longer, closer to 40-45 minutes, to get a nice roast on them. Be sure to keep an eye on them in the oven. Just check on them after 25 minutes. Cook them in a preheated oven at 375 degrees.

Once out of the oven, take the Guajillo Chiles, place them into a large glass of water, and microwave them for 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful once you remove it from the microwave, it will be super hot and burn your hands.

Next, add all the ingredients at once into a blender and puree. Once combined, TSA, ( Taste – Season & Adjust ) Might need a little salt.

Recipe Re-miX: Other uses for Roja Sauce

1. Great with Eggs of any kind – Very classic Mexican recipe – Huevos Ranchero

2. Steak

3. Taco sauce

4. Add a little bit of chunky onion, and cubed/diced tomato, and you have a nice salsa for a party.

5. Replacement tomato sauce for any recipe, really, an idea like Chicken Parmesan

6. The sky is the limit