Friday, February 21, 2014

Crock Pot "Refried" Pinto Beans


Great refried beans are the glue that holds a great burrito or taco together!

You would be surprised to learn how affordable this simple fat-free recipe is to make and the results are much better the store-bought canner version.  There are also very versatile as a substitution ingredient for meat.


Crock Pot "Refried" Beans

2 pounds dried pinto beans
8 cups water
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons salt

Combine ingredients in crock pot. Turn crock pot on High setting, cook for 4 hours. Then turn crock pot down to Low setting for 2 hours.

I discarded one cup of water prior to mashing beans. I used a submersion blender to combine. The consistency resulted in a slight more watery consistency than the canned version.

To freeze:
Mark a quart freezer bag with title of food and date.
Turn back the upper lip of the bag to make it stay open easier. Place opened bag into a liquid measuring cup. I used a 2 cup measuring cup. Then fill the bag with the refried beans until about the 2 cup mark.
Press as much air out of the bag as possible and seal. Freeze bags laying down, then can be stored upright.