Croque Monsieur with Granny Smith Apples

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
• 1½ Tablespoon All-purpose flour
• 1 Cup Hot milk
• ½ Teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Pinch Nutmeg
• 6 Ounces Gruyere, grated (about 2.5 cups)
• ½ Cup Freshly grated Parmesan
• 12 Slice Preferred type of bread (we used French)
• Dijon mustard as needed
• 1 Package Black Forest ham
• 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly pour the hot milk into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens - this will take several minutes.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/4 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan. Set aside once the cheese is fully melted.
4. Start slicing the bread. You'll want the slices to be somewhat thin, but thick enough that they can withstand layers of meat and melted cheese.
5. Arrange the bread on two baking sheets. Toast the bread in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip the slices, then continue toasting for two more minutes.
6. Spread half of the toasted bread with Dijon mustard.
7. Layer the ham and apple slices on top of the mustard. Sprinkle half of the Gruyere over the apples, and top with another slice of bread.
8. Pour the cheese sauce over sandwiches, spreading it all across the top. Sprinkle the remaining Gruyere over the sandwiches.
9. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
10. Switch the oven to broil and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the tops of the sandwiches are slightly browned and bubbling.