Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced, or equivalent of pre-minced jarred garlic
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (flakes, not powder)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 15-ounce can Great Northern or other white beans
Salt for once beans are cooked, to taste (optional)

Directions

Drain your can of beans making sure to reserve the liquid!

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the olive oil is heated, add the garlic and turn down to medium-low heat. Saute the garlic for one minute, and then add the smoked paprika, the crushed red pepper flakes, and the pepper to the pan, and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until you can really smell the lovely aroma of all of those spices (this should only take another minute or so).

Once the spices are smelling wonderful, dump in the drained beans, and heat them, stirring frequently. As you stir, mash some of the beans, to help make the dish creamy. Then add the liquid that you reserved from draining the beans and, if necessary, a little water; you want to make the beans have a bit of sauce, which you will then cook down to make them even creamier.

The beans are done when any liquid has been cooked down to a thick, creamy (and not liquidy or watery) consistency.

Remove from heat, taste, and stir in a pinch or so of salt if you like (this is optional).

These beans make a great side dish for just about any meal; you can dress them down as a side for hot dogs or a barbecue, or dress them up, as we did with our incredible “I can’t believe it’s not chicken” tofu fried chicken (stay tuned for that amazing recipe!) And yes, that’s a Hasselback potato, although we like to call them Hasselhoff potatoes. :~)