NaBloPoMoNoProFoNo #14: Taco Tuesday part Dos #RECIPE - slow-cooker refried beans

Refried beans!  So delicious.  So unphotogenic.  You guys, just trust me, these are DELICIOUS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are also cheaper than store-bought, tastier (in my opinion), and pretty simple to  make.  The only potentially tricky thing is that thanks to the overnight soak and the fact that they are slow-cooked, you can't get home and decide you want tacos and just make these impromptu.  So, I do keep a can of refried beans (our cheapo store brand passes the kitchen test which is nifty) in my cupboard for tacomergencies, but for the most part we eat these. 

 

Slow cooker refried beans

Adapted from an amalgam of Budget Bytes and Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

Add before slow-cooking

1 lb dry pinto beans, soaked overnight

1  onion, roughly chopped

1 T chopped garlic, or however much you want to chop

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 t cumin

1 t chili powder

Ground black pepper (as much as you want)

Add after slow-cooking

Salt - about 1 to 2 t, or to taste.

Instructions

Add the drained pinto beans, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper to the slow cooker.

Cover with water by an inch or two.

Cook on low for at least 8 hours, or all day -- you can't really overcook beans you are going to mash :)

After slow-cooking, set a colander above a bowl.

Drain entire mixture from slow-cooker, reserving the bean-water in the bowl.

In a food processor or blender, blend entire bean mixture (I have to do this in 2 batches in my fairly-large food processor).

Return blended beans to the slow cooker (I set mine on Warm) and stir in bean-water until you reach your desired consistency.  For me, this is about half a cup.

Stir in salt.

VOILA, you are done.  You can leave the refried beans warming in the slow cooker until you're ready to eat.

This recipe makes enough beans to freeze for future meals, which solves the whole "need to know ahead of time" dilemma.  I've contemplated doubling it so I can freeze even MORE but haven't ever tried it.  I'm only about 90% sure that my slow cooker is big enough...

Huzzah for Taco Tuesday!  And subsequent leftover Taco Thursdays! Never not awesome.