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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of RAGÚ® Pasta Sauce. All opinions are entirely my own.

Cheesy Crock Pot Bacon and Broccoli Alfredo Chicken

If you have kids in extra-curricular activities, you know exactly the craziness engulfing our household on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. It’s sheer madness! We have two kids in soccer, at different times, at different fields (across town from each other). Our family has to divide and conquer, simply to make it work.

The one thing that suffers is our family dinner time. We always eat dinner together as a family, even if it isrushed. But now, during soccer-season-madness, our dinners are not only rushed, they are done in two shifts.

The first group eats as early as 4:00pm, so the food can digest and we can make it to the soccer field in time for 5:00pm. The biggest issue I encountered with such an early mealtime was the logistics of not having time to do homework with three kids AND cook a complete and healthy meal, all within an hour.

I found myself stressed and extra cranky. Of course the lack of extra time caused us to forget things or even run late, which is my biggest pet peeve.

Cue the crock pot. Seriously, I love my crock pot. It is an exhausted and frazzled mom’s best friend.

Last week, I was tired of serving frozen pizza twice a week for dinner… and I know, if I am tired of it, then the kids are definitely sick of it too!

During one of my early morning trips to Publix, after dropping the kids off at school, I decided to stroll the aisles until I got good dinner-inspiration. That’s when it happened, it was love at first glance. Right there, in the pasta sauce aisle was my knight in shining armor… or more correctly my “RAGÚ® Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce” in a Family Size, 21.5 oz. jar!

I grabbed the white-cheesy-sauce goodness and the inspiration and ideas came to me much quicker than the 3rd grade common core math answers we struggled to find the night before during homework.

RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce – this generously sized jar of creamy, thick and flavorful Alfredo sauce is a sure instant-hit with the entire family.
- THIS is the perfect time for you to try this recipe, because RAGÚ is on sale (Buy One, Get One Free) at Publix this entire week – NOW through October 11, 2017. (Check out this and other awesome Publix BOGO deals!)
Broccoli – it’s a great healthy choice and it can easily be “sold” to the kids as Triceratops food, because who doesn’t want to eat just like their favorite extinct dinosaur?!
Mozzarella cheese – everything tastes better with extra cheese.
Bacon – well, because BACON! The smoky flavor and crispy texture of bacon is a perfect fit for this dish!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours
Total time: 4 hours and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken breast (thawed): 3 – 4 breasts
RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce: Family Size, 21.5 oz.
Salt: 1/2 tsp.
Pepper: 1/2 tsp.
Garlic cloves, minced: 2 cloves
Yellow onion, chopped, 1 onion
Olive oil: 1 tbs.
Broccoli florets: 2 cups, fresh or thawed
Mozzarella cheese, shredded: 1 1/2 cups
Bacon, cooked and chopped: 3/4 cups

Instructions:

Grease the inside of the crockpot (bottom and sides) with the olive oil.
Place chicken, salt, pepper, garlic cloves and yellow onion in the crock pot.
Pour RAGÚ Cheese Creations Classic Alfredo Pasta Sauce over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. (Cook for 5 hours if using frozen chicken breast).
Add broccoli, mozzarella cheese, bacon (1/2 cup, saving 1/4 cup as garnish), stir gently, cover and cook for another hour on low.

Serve the chicken covered with sauce, sprinkled with bacon pieces, over cooked rice with bread for a delicious meal your whole family WILL love! The kids will be SO caught up in the bacon that they forget to pick out the broccoli.

Don’t forget to pick up TWO jars of RAGÚ this week at Publix, for the price of one… it’s on sale now through October 11, 2017.

(If you need me, you know where to find me: the soccer field, the kitchen or at Publix in the pasta sauce aisle!)