Slow Cooker Refried Beans

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I've made refried beans before in the crockpot but this was the first time I've actually followed a recipe.  Yes, sometimes I will conform to society and actually follow a plan and not just throw random ingredients into a crockpot just to see what will come out. 

 

I existed on bean and cheese burritos the week that I made these.  The recipe called for 3 cups of dried pinto beans. Well, my bag had about 5 cups in it.  So I threw in the whole bag.  So much for following that recipe, huh.  I'm such an anarchist.

 

I still managed to follow the recipe, I just added as needed to account for the 5 cups rather than 3.  It worked, the earth is still spinning and the universe is fine.  Relax. 

 

So anyways, I have this really, really big crockpot. You know, like the biggest one in existence, I don't remember the size. It's big.  Well, when these puppies were done cooking, I had a WHOLE crockpot of beans. Yup, filled that crock right up.  That's a whole lot of beans.  You know what I mean? 

 

Mashing the beans was fun. :-)  See my pretty pink mixing bowls. They go so well with my green kitchen. 

 

 

 

I thought about freezing some. I thought about giving some away.  But in the end - I just ate them.  Yup, stuck them in the refrigerator and basically at beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next week.  You might be laughing right now, maybe even a bit horrified; but believe me, it was okay. I didn't mind.  At all. I love beans.  I mean, I really LOVE BEANS. 

 

For breakfast I mixed the beans with salsa and fried up a bean patty on the stove.  Then fried an egg and plopped it right on the beans.  Drizzled it with a bit of Franks buffalo sauce, add a dollop of sour cream and voila, an awesome hearty breakfast. 

 

For lunch?  You guess it.  Bean and cheese burritos.  Sometimes I'd add avocado or tomatoes but for the most part, just beans, cheese and corn tortillas. 

 

For dinner, I'd put refried beans on a salad for a taco salad. Yes, I did that.  No meat necesary.  Beans rock people.  Or I'd make a mini 7 layer taco dip and eat it with my GF crackers or tortilla chips. 

 

This went on for a week people.  No joke.  Granted my family ate many of the beans too but I'm quite sure that I managed to eat more than anyone.  And no, I did NOT get sick of them!  I actually was a little sad to see them go.  I think I need to go buy another bag of beans. :-)

 

Do you have any more ideas for beans? 

 

Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Adapted from Veronica's Cornucopia

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
9 cups of water
Salsa (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker, using only 1 tsp. of the cumin.  Cook on high for about 8 hours.  After they are done, drain all the liquid out into a bowl.  Set the liquid aside, don't throw it away.

Mash beans and add reserved liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency.  They will thicken over time so add more liquid than you think you need, making them almost a little runny.  Stir in the remaining teaspoon of cumin and serve. 

I like to add some salsa to my beans to spice them up a bit.  It's completely up to you though.




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