Montgomery Cheddar Macaroni with Baked Apples

• 6 Pink lady apples (or Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 20 ounces Montgomery Cheddar, shredded, divided
• 6 ounces Gruyere, shredded
• 3 cups fresh corn-bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a small baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
3. Toss together and cover the dish with foil.
4. Bake for 45 minutes.
5. Once the apples are done, leave the oven on.
6. While the apples are baking, prepare the casserole, Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a touch of butter.
7. 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.
8. To prepare the mornay sauce, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
9. As soon as the milk starts to steam and tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat.
10. Place 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium flame.
11. Add the flour and stir with a flat-edge wooden paddle just until the roux begins to take on a light brown color, scraping the bottom to prevent burning, about 3 minutes.
12. Slowly add the milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon-a finger drawn along the back of the spoon should leave a clear swath.
13. 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.
14. Stir the noodles in the baking dish to loosen them up, then pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss until all noodles are coated in sauce.
15. Spread a thick layer of corn-bread crumbs over the casserole and dot the top with the remaining butter.
16. Bake for 30 minutes.
17. Remove casserole from oven and portion onto ovenproof plates.
18. Top each with a heaping spoonful of baked apples and 3 tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese, then slide the plates under the broiler for a minute, until the Cheddar on top is a melted, bubbly layer of yum.
19. Serve immediately.

lady apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, salt, macaroni, milk, butter, flour, salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, montgomery, gruyere, cornbread crumbs

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/montgomery-cheddar-macaroni-with-baked-apples (may not work)