Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish or oven-safe pan. Bring 2 medium pots of salted water to a boil. Place a colander in the sink. Thoroughly rinse and pat dry produce. Halve grape tomatoes. Peel and mince shallot. Remove thyme leaves from sprigs, reserving two whole sprigs for garnish.

When one pot of water's boiling, place dried pasta into one pot and cook until al dente, about 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve. Blanch the green beans by adding them to the other pot of boiling water and cooking until just beginning to turn tender and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and run cold water over the beans to quickly cool them and halt the cooking.

Add half the minced shallot and all the evaporated milk to a clean medium pot and place over medium-high heat. Once milk starts to simmer, lower heat and whisk in cheese gradually until it is fully incorporated. Add reserved drained macaroni back to pan and stir to incorporate. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. In a small clean bowl, mix half the thyme, the melted butter, and breadcrumbs until combined.

Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into an oven safe casserole dish or skillet. Top with herbed breadcrumbs and place in oven. Bake until cheese is bubbling and crumbs begin to brown, about 20-25 minutes.

In a bowl, place remaining shallots, remaining thyme leaves, seasoned rice wine vinegar, 1½ Tbsp. of olive oil, green beans, and halved tomatoes. Toss gently and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place casserole of baked mac and cheese on your table, garnish with reserved thyme sprigs, and scoop away! Serve the green bean and tomatoes as a side salad.