This little oven-baked macaroni dish is the kind of simple comfort I grew up on in the rural Midwest, where a well-stocked pantry and a good casserole dish could get supper on the table in no time. Here we lean on canned cream of vegetable soup, some milk, and a bit of shredded cheese to turn plain elbow macaroni into a creamy garden-style bake. Everything is poured right over the uncooked pasta in the casserole dish, just like the old church cookbooks taught us—no fussing with boiling water or extra pots. It’s the kind of practical, four-ingredient recipe you can remember without a card, and it always seems to hit the spot on a busy weeknight or a chilly Sunday afternoon.
Serve this creamy garden vegetable macaroni hot from the oven with a simple green salad or sliced fresh tomatoes in the summer, or a side of buttered peas or green beans when the weather turns cool. A basket of warm dinner rolls or thick slices of buttered country bread helps scoop up every last bit of sauce. It also pairs nicely with baked ham, meatloaf, or roasted chicken if you’d like a heartier plate, but it’s cozy and satisfying enough to stand alone as a simple meatless main.
Oven-Baked Amish Garden Vegetable Cream MacaroniServings: 4
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)
1 (10.5–11 ounce) can cream of vegetable soup
1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces
Nonstick cooking spray or a little butter for greasing the dish (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray or a little butter to help keep the macaroni from sticking.
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, whisk together the canned cream of vegetable soup and the milk until the mixture is smooth and pourable. This is your creamy garden-style sauce.
Slowly pour the soup-and-milk mixture evenly over the dry elbow macaroni in the casserole dish, making sure all the pasta is moistened. Gently shake the dish or nudge the pasta with a spoon so the liquid seeps down between the macaroni pieces.
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the sauced macaroni. The cheese will melt into the sauce and form a golden, bubbly top as it bakes.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil to keep the moisture in. Place it on the center rack of the preheated oven.
Bake, covered, for 35–40 minutes, until the macaroni is tender when you test a piece with a fork. If the pasta still has a firm bite and looks a little dry, add a splash of extra milk around the edges, re-cover, and bake another 5–10 minutes.
Once the macaroni is tender, remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5–10 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and bubbling around the edges.
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This short rest allows the sauce to thicken slightly so each scoop holds together nicely on the plate.
Variations & Tips
For extra vegetables, you can stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of thawed frozen mixed vegetables or peas directly into the dry macaroni before pouring on the soup mixture; just know this will add a little more texture and color, much like the garden casseroles our mothers used to make. If you prefer a richer dish, use whole milk or stir in 2–3 tablespoons of sour cream or cream cheese with the soup and milk. A sharper cheese, such as extra-sharp cheddar or Colby Jack, can be used in place of mild cheddar for a bolder flavor, and a light sprinkle of paprika or black pepper over the cheese before baking gives a bit of color and warmth. To stretch the recipe for a crowd, double all ingredients and bake in a larger 3-quart casserole, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time and checking the pasta for tenderness. For food safety, keep the canned soup and milk refrigerated until you’re ready to mix, and do not leave the baked casserole at room temperature for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before serving again. If using pre-shredded cheese, keep it chilled until the moment you add it to the dish, and always check the date and condition of dairy products and canned soup before use.
