MontgomeryCheddar Macaroni With Baked Apples

MONTGOMERY CHEDDAR MACARONI WITH BAKED APPLES

~From “Melt”: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese


Ingredients:
6 Granny Smith (or your favourite baking apple), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1½ cups milk
5 tbsp butter, divided
3 tbsp flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
500 grams Montgomery Cheddar, shredded, set aside 1 cup
170 grams Gruyère, shredded
3 cups fresh bread crumbs (corn bread if you can get it)


Preparation and Cooking:
Preheat oven to 375°F.


In a small baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.


Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.


While the apples are baking, grease a 9×13” baking dish with a touch of butter.


Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain through a colander and spread the noodles into the baking dish.


Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the milk starts to steam and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat.

Set it aside.


Place 3 Tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a flat-edge wooden spoon until the roux begins to take on a light brown color, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom to prevent burning.


Slowly add the warmed milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon.


Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, and thyme. Add cheeses to sauce, reserving 1 cup of the Cheddar, and stir until completely melted.


Stir the noodles in the baking dish to loosen them up.


Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss until all noodles are coated.


Spread a thick layer of bread crumbs over the casserole and dot the top with the remaining butter.


Bake for 30 minutes.


Remove casserole from oven.


Top with the baked apples and remaining shredded Cheddar cheese.


Broil for about one minute or just until the Cheddar on top is melted.