This is one of the most requested dishes in my home, especially when we have children over. Instead of making a béchamel sauce, Marja simply blends her ingredients and bakes them into a rich custard that suspends the pasta. Her blend of five cheeses creates layers of flavors in this homey casserole. Marja’s always happy to bake it for a crowd, and everyone’s always happy to eat it.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 12

　　Unsalted butter

　　1 1/2 cups heavy cream

　　1 1/2 cups half-and-half

　　2/3 cup whole milk

　　2 large eggs

　　2 large egg yolks

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　6 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

　　6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

　　6 ounces mild yellow Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

　　6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

　　1 pound dried elbow macaroni

　　4 ounces cream cheese, chilled, cut into small pieces

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking dish.

　　

Step 2

Whisk together the cream, half-and-half, milk, eggs, yolks, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk again. Combine the shredded cheeses in another large bowl and mix well.

　　

Step 3

Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until almost al dente, about 3 minutes. The pasta should still be firm. Drain well.

　　

Step 4

Spoon a third of the macaroni into the buttered dish, and top with a third of the cheese mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering and seasoning twice. Dot the surface with the cream cheese, then carefully pour the cream mixture into the dish.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 5 minutes, then use a large offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the melted cream cheese evenly over the top. Continue to bake until just set, about 40 minutes. Serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.