Once again Beth has made a hit. With several days off this week I had time to make a ton of new things, her (Not) Refried Beans being one of them. Super simple to make and it all gets done in the crock pot. I froze them in half cup portions to eat later (those were the only size containers I had left). Next time I’ll add another jalapeno and more cayenne.  I ended up using my immersion blender since it was easier and faster than smooshing them.

Homemade (Not) Refried Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans
1 medium onion
1 medium jalapeno (optional)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tsp cumin
½ tsp chili powder
10-15 cranks cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
6 cups water

Directions:
Spread the dry beans out onto a baking sheet to pick through them and remove any stones or
bad pieces. Place the beans in a colander and rinse with cool water.

Slice open the jalapeno and remove the seeds and ribs by scraping with a spoon. Dice the
jalapeno and the onion. Place the onion and jalapeno in the slow cooker along with the garlic,
cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. Do not add the salt.

Add the sorted and rinsed beans to the slow cooker along with 6 cups of water. Give everything
a good stir to distribute the seasoning. Secure the lid and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low
for 8. It’s okay if they cook longer, they’ll just be easier to mash.

After cooking, remove as much water as possible and reserve it in a bowl. Mash the beans and
add the reserved water back in as needed. Make the beans a little thinner in texture than you’d
expect because they will thicken as they cool. Season the beans with salt at this point. By
adding salt at the end, you’ll need to add less and the beans won’t be so tough. I used
approximately 1 Tbsp but add a little at a time until you’re satisfied. Serve warm!

To freeze, divide the beans up and refrigerate until thoroughly cooled. Place in freezer safe
containers, remove as much air as possible, label and date, and then transfer to the freezer.