Marry Me Beans

The ‘marry me’ dish is typically made with chicken and consists of a creamy, slightly cheesy sauce that has a base of sun dried tomatoes. Here I've replaced chicken with beans (because we love beans!). But legend still says that if you make this for your partner, you should expect a marriage proposal soon…obviously I can't promise this, but what I can say with certainty is that this recipe is very delicious and a huge crowd pleaser. 

Why you’ll love this dish

• Crowd pleaser - this is a huge crowd pleaser! Who doesn’t like a slightly garlicky, creamy, tomato based sauce? Make it for your partner (or ask them to cook it for you) or make it for your friends. It’s very easy to double (or triple…) the quantity!
• Quick - this recipe is ready in about 20 minutes, so it’s the perfect thing to make if you’re in a hurry!

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Garlic: garlic is one of the main flavours in this dish, so add (at least) 3 large cloves! 

Dried oregano: sometimes I use dried oregano, or dried thyme - both work very well. 

Dried chilli flakes: add a little bit extra if you like it spicy! Or leave it out entirely if you don’t want any spice at all. 

Tomato paste: this is essential to the recipe’s flavour and colour. 

Sun dried tomato paste: I used the paste kind, but you can substitute this with whole sun dried variety. Just make sure you chop them finely! 

Double cream: This is a slightly more decadent dish so I’d recommend not skipping the double cream! But if you do want a slightly healthier alternative then you can swap the cream for about 75g of cream cheese and reduce the water quantity to about 75ml. 

Grated parmesan: parmesan is important to season the sauce and give it a slightly cheesy flavour! 

Butter beans: can be substituted with most beans / pulses (e.g. cannellini beans, chickpeas). Of course the sauce can also be the base for most other proteins too!

Parsley: this is optional but can be substituted for many other herbs, e.g. basil! 

What to serve this with? 

This is great served with some extra veg or a side salad. If you want some more carbs, buttered toast goes very nicely. Also, if you’d like a bit of protein then chicken is the obvious contender, but salmon would also be delicious too! 

Instructions 

Fry the garlic

In a medium sized frying pan over a low-medium heat add 1-2 tbsp of oil/butter. Once hot add the chopped garlic and cook until lightly golden, this will take about 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to stir as garlic has a tendency to burn! 

Add the dried herbs and pastes

Add the dried oregano, chilli flakes, tomato paste and sun dried tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stir often.

Add the rest of the ingredients 

Then all you need to do is add the double cream, water, grated parmesan and drained butter beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Taste for seasoning then top with the optional chopped parsley. And that’s it! 

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave or on the hob. 

Can this be frozen?

Yes! Just place it in an airtight container then you can reheat using the methods above. 

If you’re looking for another bean dish, be sure to try out these recipes:

• Alfredo Beans
• Butter Bean Curry
• Aubergine Butter Beans