Refried Beans in a Slow Cooker

You’ll need a 6 quart slow cooker (Crock Pot) for this recipe, or cut it in half for a smaller pot.  If you’d like fat free refried beans, leave out the lard.  Just throw the raw onion pepper and garlic in the pot with the beans and cook as directed.  The result won’t be quite as creamy, but will taste just as good.

• 8 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
• 2 medium Onion, chopped
• 2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 tablespoons Lard
• 6 cups Dried Pinto Beans
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• Water

1)  In a 10 inch skillet heat 4 tablespoons of lard on medium heat. Once hot add the chopped onion, jalapeno. Sauté for about 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

2) Rinse the dried pinto beans sort through them to remove anything suspicious looking. Add the beans, cumin, salt, pepper and sautéed vegetables to your slow cooker. Pour in enough water to reach about 1/2 inch from the top of the pot.  Cover and cook on High for 8 hours, undisturbed.

3) After the 8 hours, (I cook mine on high for 6 hours and then turn it to low for the last two) remove and drain the beans with their liquid into a colander set into a large bowl. Transfer the beans to a clean bowl and use a potato masher to mash.  If you like a creamier beans, you can use an immersion blender but I don’t have one and prefer the “rustic” product anyway.  As you’re mashing, you can add in some of the cooking liquid until you get the desired consistency.

These freeze well! 

Comments

[Margie]

Mindee, these look good. What do you do with refried beans besides wrapping them in a tortilla?

[Mindee]

Good question Margie. I guess mostly I do just wrap them in a tortilla. Sometimes for a burrito, other times I like to put them in quesadillas. On of my favorite lunches to take to work involves spreading the beans on a tortilla and sprinkling on some cheese and salsa and then I roll it up and eat it cold at lunch time. I do think they make a nice side dish on for fajitas or enchiladas too. This particular recipe I ate a couple of times as a dip with tortilla chips.