That title is a play on words referencing a tasty casserole I made this week, but real talk – I was super cranky this week and I only have a few snippets to share…

breakfast

Coffee and a watermelon Greek yogurt.

I was hoping that the cafeteria would have fresh watermelon on hand to pair with it but honestly that flavor is pretty delicious on its own.

Iced Americano with skim milk and a splash of half and half.

I asked for Americano with “light water” which seems to be my perfect order; mostly espresso without being just espresso.

Cherries and a cheese stick.

Yum!

lunch

Tropical chia pudding.

Chia seeds soaked in canned coconut milk with honey and vanilla bean paste with a smashed banana stirred in the next day.

Cafeteria sandwich.

Tuna salad on multigrain with veggies and muenster.

Cafeteria Inception-style salad.

Greens with oil and balsamic vinegar topped with shredded cheddar and cucumber and carrot salads.

snack

Self-explanatory…

Most of our snacks revolved around our homemade no-churn vanilla bean ice cream. <— have you commented on the cookbook giveaway post yet??

Topped with melted dulce de leche and Valencia peanut butter.

And whirled into ridiculous milk shakes with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

dinner

Last night we went on a date to the mall to buy Adam sneakers and me bras and underwear because apparently we have a serious case of the olds.  We did keep things young and fresh by getting a fancy dinner at the food court.

That’s “Drunken Noodles” from the new Thai spot, I guess.  The veggies were tasty (there were amazing pieces of eggplant) but it was a pretty poor representation of the dish.

The rest of our nights centered around this Cheesy Crab Pasta Bake.

You see the creeper in that photo?  That’s how you know it’s good!

Cheesy Crab Pasta Bake; serves 6-8

• 8 oz dry bow-tie pasta
• 1 Tbsp salted butter
• 1 heaping Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar
• 4 oz shredded pepperjack
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 4 sliced green onions (green and white parts)
• (2) 6 oz cans crab meat, drained and picked through if needed
• 3 oz crab seasoned chips, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prep an 8×8 inch casserole dish with baking spray.
2. Cook al dente pasta according to manufacture’s instructions then rinse and set aside.
3. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk flour into butter to form a roux and cook 1-2 more minutes until it has slightly darkened.  Whisk milk into roux and cook 3-4 more minutes until thickened, stirring out any lumps as needed.  Working in batches, stir cheeses into sauce.
4. Reduce heat to low and stir Old Bay, fish sauce, lemon, and garlic into sauce.
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in pasta, green onions, and crab, tossing until mixture is well-combined.  Pour into prepared casserole dish and top evenly with crushed chips.
6. Bake 23 – 25 minutes.

Served with spinach salad with champagne vinaigrette, pepitas, and roasted broccoli.

Have a great weekend!