My grandma used to make this growing up and it steals the show every single time. Best part is it only takes 4 simple ingredients for the ultimate comfort food.

This oven baked 4-ingredient Amish chicken and macaroni bake is the kind of cozy, no-fuss supper that feels like a hug at the end of a long day. It’s inspired by the simple casseroles my grandma used to slide into the oven before chores were done, and it always stole the show at family get-togethers. With just tender chicken, macaroni, a creamy soup base, and a splash of milk, you get a bubbly, golden-edged dish that tastes like it took all afternoon, even though it comes together in minutes. This is ultimate comfort food that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight but special enough for Sunday dinner.

Serve this creamy chicken and macaroni bake hot, right from the white casserole dish, with a simple green side to balance the richness—steamed green beans, a tossed salad, or roasted broccoli all work well. Warm dinner rolls or buttered toast are perfect for scooping up the extra sauce around the edges. If you’d like to stretch the meal a bit more, add a bowl of sliced fresh fruit on the table. It’s a homey, all-in-one main dish, so you really only need one or two light sides to make it feel like a complete, comforting family meal.

Servings: 6

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 oz)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch white casserole dish so the pasta and sauce don’t stick and the edges can brown nicely.

Spread the uncooked elbow macaroni evenly in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. This lets the pasta soak up the sauce as it bakes and keeps everything in one pan.

Scatter the bite-size pieces of chicken evenly over the dry macaroni, making sure they’re in a single layer as much as possible so they cook through and stay tender.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the whole milk until the mixture is smooth and pourable with no big lumps of soup remaining.

Pour the soup and milk mixture evenly over the chicken and macaroni, gently tilting the dish if needed so the liquid reaches all corners and the pasta is mostly submerged.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil to trap in the steam. Place it on the middle oven rack and bake for 45 minutes, until the pasta is softening and the chicken is mostly cooked through.

Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam), then return the dish to the oven uncovered. Bake for another 20–25 minutes, or until the top is bubbly, the sauce has thickened, and the edges are lightly browned and caramelized.

Check that the chicken is cooked through (no pink in the center) and the pasta is tender. If needed, bake for an additional 5–10 minutes, uncovered, to reach your preferred texture and browning.

Let the casserole rest on the counter for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken a bit more so the creamy pasta and chicken scoop out neatly while still staying wonderfully saucy around the browned edges.

For picky eaters, you can cut the chicken into very small pieces so it blends into the pasta more, making each bite feel familiar and less “meaty.” If your family likes a little extra flavor but you still want to keep it simple, you can sprinkle a small pinch of black pepper or garlic powder over the chicken before adding the soup mixture (this doesn’t change the core 4-ingredient base, just lightly seasons it). To make it creamier, use 1 1/2 cups milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream instead of all milk. If you need to stretch the meal, you can add up to 1/2 cup extra milk and a small handful more macaroni, but plan to bake a bit longer and stir gently halfway through when you remove the foil. For a make-ahead option, you can assemble the dish up to the point of baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours; when baking from cold, add an extra 10–15 minutes to the covered bake time, checking to be sure the chicken is fully cooked and the pasta is tender.