Mix canned kidney beans and these 2 ingredients over uncooked elbow macaroni into a casserole dish for a hearty meal your guests will crave over and over again

This oven baked 4-ingredient Amish kidney bean macaroni is the kind of no-fuss casserole that has fed farm families around here for generations. It’s the sort of dish you throw together when the day’s been long, the pantry is a little bare, and you still want something warm and comforting on the table. Using uncooked elbow macaroni, canned kidney beans, and just two more simple ingredients, everything bakes together right in the casserole dish. The noodles soak up the sauce, the beans turn velvety, and you’re left with a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs meal that feels like it came straight out of a church basement potluck in small-town Amish country.

Serve this casserole piping hot with a simple green side, like buttered peas or a tossed salad with a tangy dressing to balance the richness. A basket of warm dinner rolls or a slice of crusty bread is perfect for scooping up the creamy sauce from the bottom of the dish. A side of applesauce or pickled beets, very common on Midwestern and Amish tables, adds a sweet-tart note that complements the savory beans and macaroni. Finish the meal with something homey, like oatmeal cookies or a fruit crisp, to keep that old-fashioned comfort going from start to finish.

Servings: 6

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with butter or oil so the macaroni doesn’t stick.

Pour the uncooked elbow macaroni evenly into the bottom of the casserole dish, spreading it out so it forms a fairly even layer.

In a medium bowl, combine the drained kidney beans and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper, then gently stir to mix everything together.

Spoon the kidney bean and cheese mixture evenly over the dry macaroni in the casserole dish. Use your hands or a spoon to lightly mix and nudge the beans down into the macaroni so they’re tucked throughout, but don’t worry about it being perfect—this is a homestyle dish.

Slowly pour the milk over the macaroni and bean mixture, making sure to cover as much of the pasta as you can. The milk is what the uncooked macaroni will drink up as it bakes, turning everything creamy.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil to help the macaroni cook through. Place it on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, carefully remove the foil and check a piece of macaroni from the center; it should be just about tender. If it’s still quite firm, cover again and bake for another 10–15 minutes, checking once more.

When the macaroni is nearly tender, remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top, and return the dish to the oven, uncovered.

Bake an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted, bubbly, and starting to turn golden around the edges, and the macaroni is fully tender.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This short rest lets the sauce thicken slightly so each scoop holds together, just like the cozy casseroles that have graced Midwestern tables for decades.

If you’d like a little extra heartiness, you can stir in 1 to 2 cups of cooked ground beef, ham, or crumbled sausage with the kidney beans before layering everything over the macaroni. For a touch of sweetness that’s common in Amish-style casseroles, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the milk before pouring it over the pasta. You can also swap part of the milk for evaporated milk for a richer, old-fashioned flavor. If you prefer a bit of tang, stir 1/2 cup of sour cream into the milk mixture. To make it slightly lighter, use 2% milk and reduce the cheese to 1 1/2 cups total. A small pinch of garlic powder, onion powder, or smoked paprika can be added to the bean and cheese mixture for more depth without straying too far from its simple roots. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk stirred in before warming, and the casserole can be assembled a few hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator, then baked when you’re ready—just add 5–10 minutes to the baking time if it goes into the oven cold.