Crock Pot "Refried" Beans

I can't believe that fall is here again! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the crisp autumn air and being bundled in jeans and a cozy hoodie! It makes me want to run through an apple orchard (or just walk since we all know that me running is not very believable) or visit a pumpkin patch! Totally on my bucket list for this fall, by the way! The only thing that makes me sad about the fact that fall is here is that is always seems to be here and gone in the blink of an eye. Life just needs to slow down a bit so we can enjoy this wonderful season and have time to not only drive by the apple orchards, but actually stop and spend the day there. Aww...wouldn't that be nice?

Since the weather has been cooling off, my mind has been buzzing with different Crock Pot ideas and delicious baked goods. So not where I want my mind to be when my sister's wedding is only 2 1/2 weeks away! 

When I was younger, I thought refried beans were awful. Blended beans were not high on the list of favorite foods for me. In fact, they didn't even make the list. Over the years, I began to eat them in certain dishes at parties so I wouldn't look rude, secretly thinking how much better it would be without all the bean guts smeared over my plate. Now..? I love them! I could literally probably sit down and eat an entire platter of 7 layer dip with some salty tortilla chips and purposely add extra refried beans! Who woulda thought?!

Now that I know how to make "refried" beans in the Crock Pot, I love them even more! Not only are the much cheaper, they are healthier, crazy easy, and taste so much better! You will love these! :)

My husband and I both like ours a little thicker, but you can totally make them the consistency you want. Thick, chunky, thin, smooth...whatever. 

(Just use a food processor instead of a potato masher if you want a smoother consistency.)

Ingredients

2 lb. dry pinto beans

10 c. hot water

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

Directions

Pick out any bad beans and rinse well.

Dump beans in the slow cooker and add 10 cups of hot water. Remove any beans that float to the top.

Add the chopped onion.

Add the seasonings and stir. (Do it slowly because it will be full!)

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Gently stir.

Cook on LOW for another 2 hours.

Put a colander in a large bowl and gently dump the beans in the colander.

Once drained, set the reserved liquid aside.

Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher, adding the reserved liquid until you reach the desired consistency.

Add more salt & pepper, if needed.

You can serve them right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or divide into freezer-safe ziploc baggies and freeze until ready to use! :)

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What you'll need to make delicious "refried" beans in your slow cooker:

Pick out any bad beans and rinse well.

Dump beans in the slow cooker.

Add 10 cups of hot water. 

Remove any beans that float to the top.

Add the chopped onion.

Add the seasonings.

Stir. (Do it slowly because it will be full!)

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

It should look somewhat like this after 4 hours:

Gently stir.

Cook on LOW for another 2 hours.

Beans should be pretty soft at this point, but not mushy.

Put a colander in a large bowl and gently dump the beans in the colander.

(I used a pot & colander set that we have. It worked pretty well!)

Once drained, set the reserved liquid aside.

Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher.

Add the reserved liquid, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

Add more salt & pepper, if needed.

**Like I said before, if you like them smooth and thin, just continue adding the liquid and throw them in the food processor. If you like them thick with lots of texture, just mash 'em up and add enough liquid to get them well mixed! Your call. :)

You can serve them right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days, or divide into freezer-safe ziploc baggies and freeze until ready to use! :)

Yes, I know they don't look that appetizing, but they really are even better than store-bought!

So much more flavor, and customizable to suit your tastes.

My husband even said it would be fun to try doing some ranch or taco flavored "refried" beans! 

I'm sure we'll be trying that soon. :)