Growing up, I always had them with my mother's homemade Spanish rice (my grandfather was from Mexico) and tortillas. But they were out of a can...
Fattening, fattening, fattening!
Maybe refried beans are an acquired taste - I don't know. My family doesn't share my affection for the legumes. They're always the food item that's left on the plate at a Mexican restaurant (at least in my family). I usually take my guys' plates and scoop them up! I use a fork, spoon, tortilla chip - whatever! I'm the opposite of them - I leave the rice behind because it never compares to my mother's recipe!
Of course with two boys (three, if you count my husband) this always spurs a chorus of "Beans, beans they're good for your heart..."
Never a dull moment in my family, I tell ya.
When I was studying in Mexico, on my way to becoming a Spanish teacher, I grew accustomed to refried beans at ever almost every meal. We ate them aside meat dishes. They are a staple in traditional dishes like tostadas or chilaquiles. They showed up, too, in the most odd places... along side your fried eggs...
And why not? Beans are cheap. It's easy to cook them, mash them up, and cook them again with some lard.
Well, I stumbled upon a recipe that made my beloved refried beans without all the fat and added ingredients that come in the can! Even better, they are made in the crockpot!
You can't go wrong with these "refried" beans made in the crockpot! Try them!
*Beans are full of fiber!
*Beans are packed with proteins!
*Beans are fat free!
*Beans are cheap! (Dried, in a bag)
*"Refried" beans freeze well, so you can make a big batch and use them in all different kinds of meals!
Yaaa!
First, I will give you the recipe for the crockpot beans. Then I will share with you how to use them in a meal - beef and bean burritos. You'll love them both!
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"Refried" beans in the crockpot
As you can see we got this picture from the website from which I also found the recipe. You really should check out this girl's blog! She is a very frugal and healthy cook! She usually gives you to breakdown cost of each serving! (Math is definitely not my strong point so I will refrain from doing that!)
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. jarred minced garlic
*Up to 2 1/2 Tbsp salt (This is the absolute max if you don't pre-soak your beans.)
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
10 cups hot water
* You can use as little as 1 Tbsp. of salt
DIRECTIONS
•Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans. (Sometimes there is a small stone in there by mistake, or I look for discolored, deformed, or halved beans.)
•Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours and on LOW for 2 hours.
•Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are mashed.
•Mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency.
•Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.
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Now you know how to make them, and that they are a tasty accompaniment to many foods!
Let me show you how I used them one night....
I made these:
• Brown 2 pounds ground beef. Drain (leave a little grease for flavor)
• add spices** (add a little splash of water if it appears too dry)
• stir in one can red enchilada sauce
• On a flour tortilla, layer:
* shredded cheddar cheese
* Refried beans
* meat
• roll up tortilla, tucking in ends
• Top with:
* additional enchilada sauce or salsa
* additional cheese (you can zap it in the microwave at this point in order to melt cheese)
* a dollop of sour cream
* chopped cilantro
** I make my own taco seasoning mix because it is cheaper and also I can control the salt: (1T each of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and ground cumin, PLUS 1/4-1/2T crushed red pepper)
Buen provecho !
