Crockpot "refried" beans

Sometime last year I stumbled upon this recipe for crockpot beans. I am obsessed with my crockpot, something about the crockpot makes everything taste better. The flavors meld together so well, it’s fabulous for stews, soups, chili, many types of roasts, I even do BBQ chicken drumsticks in the crockpot. I ADORE my crockpot, it’s a busy mom’s best friend.

This recipe for crockpot beans is literally SO easy. It will also have your house smelling so delicious after about 4 or 5 hours. The first time I made this, I had it cooking overnight, and the delicious smell woke me up in the middle of the night!! I was dreaming of food!!

I’ve made this countless times. I’ve changed it quite a bit from the original recipe, mostly adding spice because we like some heat in our food. This recipe makes a lot of beans, but I use them as sides for enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, burritos (both on the side and inside). One of my favorite uses is to fold it up in a wheat tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese for a quick and easy lunch. I also use them for breakfast burritos, in 7 layer dip as well as a bean dip. It’s completely non fat and high in protein! Once you try this, I promise you won’t ever buy refried canned beans again!!

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry pinto beans (rinsed well)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 and 1/2 chili pepper, chopped (sometimes I use a can of  jalapeño, or diced green chili)
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
• 1 teasoon cayenne pepper powder, divided
• 1 teaspoon paprika, divided
• 9 cups water

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the crockpot, using only one teaspoon of the cumin and only 1/2 teaspoons each of the chili powder, cayenne and paprika. Set crockpot to high and cook for 8 hours.
After beans are done, drain all of the liquid out into a bowl using a strainer or colander. Set the liquid aside, do not discard!

Mash the beans with a potato masher, and add the reserved liquid with a ladle, one spoonful at a time. I like my beans with some chunk, not completely smooth, but get them to the consistency you prefer. The beans will also thicken over time, so add a little more liquid to make them more runny than usual.
Once they are at the desired consistency, stir in the other teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoons of chili powder, cayenne and paprika and they are ready to serve!! Enjoy!!

The additional pictures I’ve added have the beans as a side. The first shows them served with chicken enchiladas in red sauce, then I show the beans used in a 7 layer dip as an appetizer alongside my guacamole dish, and lastly I have it shown as a side to my fajita buritos served in a whole wheat tortilla. I will add those recipes soon!