Slow Cooker Refried Beans

What Mexican food meal would be complete without refried beans? IT Guy was born and raised in Arizona and I lived there for 13 years so we are well versed in refried beans. In other words, we LOVE them! Making them is so easy and they're so much better than the canned kind. You can whip up a little or a lot. And did you know you can freeze them? Yup! Use them as a side for your next Mexican food meal. Fill a flour tortilla to make burritos....or use them on nachos! So many ways to use them....you just gotta try them!

Slow Cooker Refried Beans




2 cups pinto beans ~ rinsed
6 cups water
1 small onion ~ diced
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 - 2 cloves garlic ~ minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons salt ~ (or to your preference)

Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on high for 4 - 5 hours.

When beans are done, pour them out onto a rimmed cookie sheet to cool.

When beans are cool enough to handle, spoon them out with a slotted spoon into a blender, reserving liquid.

Run the beans through the blender until desired consistency, adding reserved liquid if the beans seem dry.

If you don't have a blender, use a potato masher to mash the beans. The texture will be more coarse but won't affect the flavor.

Add extra salt if needed.

Serve as a dip with cheese and salsa or as a side dish for Mexican food.

Makes about 5 cups of refried beans.

 

Let's cook some beans!

 

Put everything in the crock pot.

 

Cook on high for a few hours.

 

Then pour the beans onto 

a rimmed cookie sheet. This 

is just a faster way to cool them.

 

Then run the beans through the blender.

Reserve the liquid in case you need

to thin the blended beans. 

 

 Blend to desired consistency. 

Add more salt if needed.

 

Serve them any ole way you choose!