crockpot

I’ve been making this Crockpot Refried Beans recipe about once a week lately.  It is great to have on hand, a jar in the refrigerator and a few in the freezer.  My girls make themselves bean burritos as after school snacks with these beans.  I love having a quick wrap for lunch made with these beans, salsa, tomatoes, and lettuce.  They are great smeared on a tostada or to eat as a side to tacos with rice.  Also great for chip dipping.

They have so much more flavor than canned beans, and I feel great staying away from cans due to their BPA lining.  Another great thing about making these beans is that you can make them as chunky or as mashed as you like it.  I like a bit of texture in my burritos, but for nachos, I mash them and thin them out a bit more.

I put off making my own beans for a long time.  I kept reading how you have to sort them and soak them. It felt intimidating and like too much work.  Boy, was I wrong!  Sorting takes minutes, and with this Crockpot recipe, there is no soaking.

I measure out my beans (3 cups for this recipe) on my large cutting board.  I then quickly sort them, the pile in the front are sorted beans, the pile in the back has yet to be sorted.  This literally takes me maybe 2 minutes to sort 3 cups of beans.

You are looking for shriveled beans, halved beans, or just plain ugly looking beans.  I also take the ones that look too small out.  Pictured above are my rejects.

Put beans in a colander, and give them a quick rinse.

Dump them in the crockpot, along with 1 chopped onion, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.  This recipe calls for a lot of salt, but it also makes a nice amount of beans. Use it, they need it.

Set the crockpot to high and in 5 hours (can let them cook longer if needed) you have wonderful beans.  I love how these make the house smell.  We are eating less meat around here (next to none) and it has been great, but I have missed throwing something in the crockpot and having it make the house smell good.  Well, these beans solve that problem…they smell so good as they cook!  Yum!

Crockpot Refried Beans (without the Refry)
(from Real Mom Kitchen)

• 3 cups of dry pinto beans (sorted and rinsed)
• 1 onion, diced
• 9 cups of water
• 3 1/2-4 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin

• Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 8 hours.
• After they are done, drain all of the liquid out and SAVE THE LIQUID!!
• Mash beans with a potato masher or whatever you mash with. Add liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency, but remember you want them a little runny because they thicken over time. (makes about 6 cups)
• Note: I’ve read about people adding sliced jalapenos to this recipe, for a little kick.  These beans are full of flavor without it, but if you are a jalapeno fan.  Also, these freeze beautifully.