$0.19 per cup 73% savings save $33.47 yearly
Have you ever had something or tried something or seen something and LOVED it so much, that you wanted to share it with everyone? The first time you see a truly HILARIOUS video, and you want to make sure all of your family and friends see it to, because it was that funny... or the first time you discovered the magic of a free Krispy Kreme doughnut fresh off the rack, and promptly asked everyone you knew if they were aware of the inspired genius of the glowing red light... or when your very first baby giggled for the very first time and you tried to video it, replicate it, and show it off to as many people who showed even the slightest interest in your child, because, to you, it was the BEST thing ever?
Well... that's kinda how I feel about these beans.
Yep. Beans.
Okay, so beans aren't really comparable to newly giggling babies, but still...
Refried beans have been a staple food in my life since I was a child. They were a staple in my Dad's life when HE was a child. And... I'm pretty sure they were staples in his parent's lives.
The refried beans I had as a kid came from a can. Rosarita, was the brand, and boy did I love 'em! They were tasty and they were easy. It's no wonder we ate them constantly. We used them for bean and cheese burritos, soft tacos, tostadas... ahhhh!... tostadas!... Er... Ahem... Moving along...
Now, I'm passing on the "bean" tradition to my children. The only difference is, we make our own beans in the crockpot. I buy a big bag of dried pinto beans at the store, and in no time, I've got a huge batch of homemade "refried" beans cooking in the crockpot so I focus my attention on other things. We eat refried beans almost weekly, and I LOVE it! I can stand on my soapbox all say long and declare the virtues of these beans:
1.) A four-pound bag of dry pinto beans runs $3.68 at Walmart.
2.) They are fat-free, and don't involve any "re-frying"
3.) They are protein-rich.
4.) They are fiber-rich.
5.) They are so, so, so, so, simple to prepare.
6.) They freeze really well.
7.) They taste amazing.
8.) My 8-month old can eat them.
9.) They are a sure-win with the kids
10.) They make for a great food storage recipe, especially when you pair them with homemade flour tortillas.
11.) They are SUPER cost-effective.
12.) They have less sodium, and NO weird preservatives that the canned versions have.
And the list goes on into an endless happy oblivion of tasty goodness. So, as someone who loves these beans very much, my desire is to share them with you. Please, please make these at least once! You'll be so glad you did!
*Makes about 16 cups
Note: I haven't usually taken time to soak these beans overnight, and they've always been tasty and my family has never experienced any adverse effects. However, I've read that soaking the beans can improve their quality, so take that into account before making these.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. jarred minced garlic
*Up to 2 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
10 cups hot water
* You can use as little as 1 Tbsp. It depends on how you like your beans.
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.
Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours and on LOW for 2 hours.
Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are mashed. (We like our beans somewhere between the very-liquidy restaurant style beans, and the canned version of refried beans.)
Mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency.
Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.
~ Savings ~
Cost Breakdown:
4 lbs dry pinto beans - $3.68 = $0.92/lb = $1.84
3 lb onion - $1.96 = $0.245 each = $$0.49 for 2 small
26 oz. salt - $0.42 = 122.75 tsp = $0.003/tsp = $0.023
32 oz. jarred minced garlic - $4.48 = 181 tsp = $0.025/tsp = $0.216
8 oz. black pepper- $3.84 = 37.75 tsp = $0.102/tsp = $0.204
2 oz. cumin - $3.12 = 22 tsp = $0.142/tsp = $0.284
Total Recipe Cost: $3.06
Cost per Cup: $0.19
The Contender:
Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans (15 oz.): $1.25
Cost per Cup: $0.71
Savings: 73%
"Over a Year" Scenario:
Make Crockpot "Refried" Beans 4 times: $12.24
Use Equivalent Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans: $45.71
*Money Saved: $33.47 
Okay seriously you are in my head! :) I've been wanting to make these because we eat lots of mexican food. I was seriously going to ask you if you had a recipe, haha. I'm trying these soon! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!! You're awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy to help! These beans are very basic, and the flavors are very subtle, because we always end up eating them with salsa or other condiments... so if you want to amp up the seasonings feel free to do so! These beans are awesome! Let me know how they turn out for you.
DeleteMade these tonight, and had them on tostadas! So yummy! Best part is I have about 10 cups worth split into bags to go in the freezer! Yessssss!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad! Thanks for taking time to share your success!
DeleteI have always wanted to make my own refried beans because I only like them from restaurants and not the can, so I made these tonight and they are fabulous! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! We pretty much scarf them down like crazy here. :)
DeleteMaking these today! Thanks for the recipe. If I freexe them how would I defrost them to use at a later date? TIA
ReplyDeleteYou're going to love these! My preferred method for defrosting the beans is to put them in a pot on the stove, cover, and heat on low, stirring every few minutes, and gradually turning up the heat as the beans soften, and warm up. The time it takes to do this will depend on how much you are re-heating. I usually re-heat about 2 cups at a time, and it takes me about 10 minutes. Good luck! I'd love to hear how they turn out for you!
DeleteMy grandmother used to put things into milk cartons to freeze. Easy to store and you just peel off the carton to reheat!
DeleteI noticed this calls for 1 onion, is it necessary? I have a few non-onion eaters in my house.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Hi Momma Rae,
DeleteI've never tried it without the onion. It adds a wonderful flavor (without seeming onion-y) and when you mash them up, your non-onion eaters won't even know they are there... they won't even see them, I promise! But, if you are worried you can try it without and see what you think. If you do that, let me know how it goes.
Use onion powder...we do that all the time! Although I tend to agree with Andrea that you probably wouldn't notice the onions in here since they're cooked and mashed.
DeleteI was wondering about the onion too. I like onion flavor, but don't want it to be too much. Glad to know it really doesn't show up. I hated to try it without, since it seems like it would be a big part of the flavor.
DeleteTried these tonight and they were great. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy husband adds bacon in this.... its amazing. Just be careful because it can get too salty if you go bacon overboard :)
ReplyDeleteAre you soaking and boiling the pinto beans prior to putting into the crockpot? Or are the beans going in dry?
ReplyDeleteHi there! I rinse the beans, then put them in without soaking them first. Just be to use HOT water or they will take longer to cook. Good luck!
DeleteTHANKS! I am making them now :)
DeleteGreat recipe! Soaking the beans for 24 hours in water before cooking greatly improves digestion. It's the only way beans have been prepared for thousands of years, but our society often skips that step. So, if you can plan ahead you will recieve the full nutrients from the beans!
ReplyDeleteHi, if I soak them for 24 hours first, do I discard that liquid before I put them in the crockpot? And then put fresh water in crockpot and proceed as directed?
DeleteYes! the reason you soak the beans it so they will release the enzyme that causes gas and other digestion problems. Get rid of the soak water and start with fresh water. Also, your beans won't take as long to cook so you may need to cut down the cook time.
DeleteWould you have to reduce the amount of cooking water then? If so, do you know by how much? Thanks!
DeleteI also want to know the answer to this! Anyone have an estimate?
DeleteTry cooking them for 4 hours on high. Check them, and if they're not done, give them a little longer. (8 hours on low would work too.) You really can't over-cook them since they're just going to be mashed up anyway. This recipe is really forgiving when it comes to the length of cooking time. :)
DeleteAs to water amounts, I would say make sure the beans are covered, plus 1/4 inch, they won't boil down too much in a crock pot.
DeleteWould love to do this!! Reading the instructions it says to cook on high for 4 hours and low for 2 hours? So on low would be? I could just do it on high, but I like slow cooking everything...=)
ReplyDeleteI'd do 10-12 hours on low. :) Good luck! Let me know how they turn out for you.
DeleteThank you for your fast reply!
DeleteSaw this recipe on pinterest. Made these last night and they were fantastic! I made a half portion, since it's just the two of us. Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeletejust FYI, that soak liquid that you are then using to cook and consume contains oligosaccharides, tannins, phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors. for me this is a great idea in theory but not good in practice.
ReplyDeletea good point you make
Deleteeveryone - after soaking your beans for 24hrs
DRAIN , RINSE and USE FRESH WATER to finish the recipe
if you don't wish to waste the soak water your plants or lawn will make good use of it :)
I must be the only person left on the planet without a crock pot. I really, really want to make these. Do you suppose I could just cook them in a covered pot for a long, long time and get similar results?
ReplyDeleteYou probably could but you'd have to watch them, tend them, occasionally stir them & you wouldn't be able to leave the house. With a crockpot you just put everything in & basically ignore it.
DeleteI have cooked things in the oven at about 225 in a covered dutch oven when I have stuff that doesn't fit in the crockpot. Works with beans - you have to keep a little eye on them, but they don't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
DeleteI just made refried black beans using this recipe. They are delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm a beginning cook, so I wanted to verify the hot water to be used. Would that be boiled water or just hot from the sink?
ReplyDeleteThank You!
Hi there! I just use water from the sink... as hot as it gets. :) Good luck!
DeleteI have a ton of Navy beans, think this would turn out okay with those?
ReplyDeleteHi there! I've never tried it with navy beans before, but I'd imagine the general principles are the same. Unfortunately, I don't store dried navy beans. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes for you. :)
DeleteDo you put the salt in at the beginning? I've been told as a general rule to avoid putting salt in with dried beans while cooking because it makes them hard.
ReplyDeleteI've read that about salt as well. The first time I made these beans, I hadn't heard about the sale "rule." I just wanted to make things easy on myself, and put everything in the crockpot at the same time. It worked out well for me. Perhaps if you add the salt at the end (which would be fine by the way) they may take less time to cook and soften.
DeleteI read in Cooks Illustrated that if you soak the beans with salt, their texture improves. I tried it with black beans, and they were much creamier, less mealy/grainy. I did add a little more salt with the cook water, since most of the salt was pored down the drain with the soak water. I highly recommend salting them while soaking.
DeleteMargery, it's good to have you on here. That's so funny about the salt... I think beans must have a lot of misconceptions, because there are many people who will swear up and down that adding any kind of salt before the beans are done cooking will cause them to be hard. Thanks for you input. With all the differing viewpoints, I'm not sure which is really correct, but I DO know that I've cooked these beans (not soaked, but it sounds like that would work fine too) WITH salt many times with fabulous results. So, thanks again for stopping by with your input!
DeleteI find I like the flavor better if I cook them with the salt. Waiting till the end the beans don't soak up as much of the salt flavor ( I usually serve whole beans). I have never had them turn out hard even when cooking with salt.
DeleteThis is a great recipe! I'm excited to try it. For your cost comparison, could you factor in the electricity it takes to power a crockpot? (I think it'll still be cheaper and healthier homemade, but I can't help but get stuck on the details :D).
ReplyDeleteHi Carolyn. :)
DeleteI tend to get stuck on the details too. Factoring in that cost is a great idea, but it would be extremely difficult to do. When I started Pennies & Pancakes, I decided NOT to factor in costs like electricity to cook vs. cost of gas to run to the store (or taxes on ingredients for homemade dishes vs. taxes on ready-made store bought food.) If only there were an easy way to figure all that out. I just mentally decided those "extra" costs" would have to cancel each other out for the purposes of this site. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Oh you're so sweet - it's so kind of you to take the time to respond! I agree - I think figuring out all of those costs would be really tricky. I just found your blog on Pinterest and I just realized how similar we are! I also grew up penny pinching and put myself through college with scholarships, and I also think it's important to balance costs and health, but not worry too much :). You're doing a great job, and I look forward to reading your blog!
DeleteI made this today and it was wonderful! Even my 4yo asked 'can I have more of that tasty food?' Thank you so much for a great recipe!
ReplyDeleteI made 2lbs. earlier today. I have a small crock so I had to do it in 2 batches. I first did the 24hr soak. Batch 1 was quite watery but it'll be okay. The 2nd batch was drained completely, then mashed, then I added back a few tbsps of the liquid to soften the batch. Results are good. Now I have enough beans for a month. Thanks for all the tips listed above.
ReplyDeleteThese are delicious. I followed your recipe exactly. When the beans were done I used my immersion blender to mash them up. I made an assembly line of tortillas, cheese and beans and made the burritos recipe. Small investment of time equals healthy, cost effective meals. My son and I do not eat processed food so this was great for us to have on hand when we are too busy or tired to cook.
ReplyDeleteI made these beans this last week, we ate a few burritos and tostadas! Yesterday & today I put 25 burritos in my freezer. I think I love you. :-)
ReplyDeleteCould I leave the crockpot on high for 6 hours if I use cold water? I work a 6 hour day, and would like to put them in when I leave. But I cant get home to change the settings...
ReplyDeleteI've never tried cooking them that way, but I imagine they'd turn out fine. If you try it, be sure to let us all know how they turned out! Good luck!
DeleteI've made them before and cooked all day while at work or all night while I was sleeping with no noticeable difference.
DeleteI am utterly confused about how long to cook these. The instructions say 4 hours on high or 2 on low, and then a comment below says 10 - 12 on low? And then 6 hours on low? Can you please clarify? So excited to make these!
ReplyDeleteHi Megan,
DeleteI think you may have mis-read the original instructions (happens to me ALL the time!). These cook for 4 hours on high AND then 2 hours on low. I can see how it could have been easy to misinterpret though. In the comments, I was addressing the potential cook times for only on low (10-12 hours), and if a person wanted them to be done at the end of a 6 hour work day (would have to be done the entire time on high... 6 hours on low wouldn't be sufficient, and she didn't have time to come home and adjust the temperatures like the recipe calls for. Yes, her beans will cook longer... but they're going to by mushed up anyway. SO (blah, blah, blah) I'd say just go with the 4 hours on high and 2 hours on low. I hope you love 'em!
... and to re-iterate... I COMPLETELY get why you were confused! :)
DeleteJust wanted to let you know that I found this recipe on Pinterest and just finished making them. YUM!!!! Wow, the flavors are perfect. I just ate it plain out of a bowl! lol I used my immersion blender at the end, which helped a bunch, too. Thanks for the great and SIMPLE recipe!
ReplyDeleteYou are more than welcome! I'm glad you liked them!
DeleteLooks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing . . . I'll be making them sometime this week! :)
ReplyDeleteHere is a great article about soaking or sprouting grains, beans and legumes. I can't wait to try this recipe, but after I soak the beans for 24-48 hours. Thanks!
ReplyDeletehttp://nourishedkitchen.com/soaking-grains-nuts-legumes/
Hi Andrea! Have you ever made this using fresh garlic? I'm a little nervous, though, because since 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic equals 1 fresh garlic clove I would need to use 18 fresh cloves of garlic for this recipe. Does that sound excessive to anyone else? Can I get your opinion please?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny!
DeleteI know it sounds a bit excessive. We love our garlic around here! I've never used fresh cloves in this recipe because the large jar of minced garlic is so much cheaper. All I can do is promise you that the 4 Tbsp of jarred minced garlic works perfectly. If you are nervous, you could start with 9 fresh cloves, when you cook it, and after you mash the beans, you can taste them and if you still want more garlic, you could mince some more and cook them in a little oil over the stovetop and thoroughly incorporate them into the beans. It might be a case of trial and error. Hopefully this doesn't prevent you from trying them though, because these beans are seriously AWESOME! Good luck!
Hello! I am SO excited to find this recipe b/c I LOVE refried beans. Would eat them every few days if I could. My hubby and I do not like to get the canned ones, though, for a number of reasons.
ReplyDeleteI want to go out to the kitchen and start a batch right now, but of all the many beans and lentils in my pantry, I do not have pinto beans. Can you make them with any other? I have black turtle, red kidney, and navy. Thanks!
Shanna
Hi Shanna,
DeleteI'd give it a go with the black beans. :) Good luck!
Hi, I made this recipe today and loved it except they were on the salty side. Was it supposed to be 2 1/2 tsp instead of 2 1/2 tbsp. I put 2 tbsp in and it was so salty we could barely eat them. I plan to make another batch tomorrow without salt to even it out. Also, I used fresh garlic and it worked wonderfully (so making it even cheaper!) I used about 8 cloves. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Sorry they were a bit on the salty side for your taste. We do use 2 - 2.5 Tbsp of salt and that works well for our family... Although once I made them with a little over 1 Tbsp (ran out of salt... don't know how THAT happened) and they were just fine. The nice things about this recipe is that it's versatile, and you can customize the flavors to your preference. Let me know how your second batch turns out! I'd love to hear. :)
DeleteHoly. Crap. I was doubtful about the whole fat/low cumin recipe, but these are *reallyflippinggood*. I haven't been this excited about a recipe in ages. I have been sharing it and singing it's praises since I took the first post-mash taste! I backed the salt down quite a bit, I didn't even grind my cumin fresh this morning, and they still have loads of flavor! THANK YOU for this recipe!
ReplyDeleteI soaked my beans overnight, and did 6 hours on high, starting with cold water, and they're AWESOME. I backed the salt way down, but left everything else as is and HOLYCRAP they are so flavorful! I almost doubted you on the cumin, because I am a cuman-aholic, but these came out with so much flavor! Amazing how something so simple can be so amazingly good. I am sharing the heck out of this recipe. I am committing this recipe to *paper*, I love it so much. And that's a high honor in this house.
ReplyDeleteWell I am just so flattered that my recipe made it to *paper.* :) I'm really happy you seem to love these beans as much as I do. I can't sing their praises enough. Thanks for taking time to write such a nice comment!
DeleteIf I make a half recipe, do I cut the time in half as well? Or do any amount of beans need the full 6 hours to soften?
ReplyDeleteThe beans will still need plenty of time to cook. They'd probably be done before the 6 hours are up... maybe at 5 hours, but I've never done a half recipe to know for sure. Check them at 5 hours, and give them more time if needed. Alternately, if you were to cook a larger recipe, they're need more time. Good luck!
DeleteI just checked the beans at 2 hours on high, and they were still plenty hard. I'm going to do the full 6 hours. Like you said above, you can't really overcook since they are going to be mashed anyway. Thanks for the quick reply!!
DeleteOh no, I literally bought a can of refried beans an hour ago!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this recipe, though, will definitely be trying it soon. Looks delicious.
These were delicious! Made them last night. Only changes made was using only 1 1/2 Tbsp salt and that I soaked the beans in water for 4 hours, then rinsed before placing in crock pot. Even with soaking first, the 4 hrs on high, then 2 hrs on low was perfect. Made your food storage granola bars last night too - also yummy!
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
DeleteI'm so glad you enjoyed both recipes! I love 'em both. In fact, I'm doing another batch of beans today. :) Thanks for your kind comment!
Instead of mashing our beans I put them in my Kitchenaid mixer and beat with the flat paddle. So easy!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Grad student with a limited budget and limited time. I just turned these beans into 18 frozen burritos for less than .50cents each with leftover beans in the freezer for a taco night. Considering the high cost (not to mention unhealthy) lunch options on campus or the price of frozen burritos from the store filled with who knows what, I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you for the awesome recipe, I'll never buy gross canned beans again!
ReplyDeleteGina,
DeleteThanks for you comment! I love hearing from people who've benefited from these posts. I hope you find the rest of this site helpful. Good luck with grad school!
This looks great! I can't wait to try it. Just yesterday I was using canned refried beans and thinking I should use my dried beans instead (I have a lot!). Glad I saw this! I have a blog as well and I was wondering if I could share this there. I'm new to blogging, so I don't know the etiquette yet. Could you explain how I could share and properly "link back" to you? Or, should I not be asking such a thing in the first place?! Maybe you could enlighten me a little. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny!
DeleteWelcome to the blogging world. :) You are more than welcome to share this! Send me an email, at penniesandpancakes@gmail.com, and I'll give you all the info you need. :) I look forward to hearing from you!
Andrea
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest! I made these last night with a couple slight adjustments to fit my family's taste and my boys raved over these beans. The stinkers had never told me that none of them like the canned beans we've always used. I can't wait to make these with black beans next time. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeletePaula,
DeleteHooray!! If the boys love 'em they must be good. :) Let me know how it goes with black beans.
Andrea
Honestly I was a little put off by the really light color of the beans but then I took a bite and holy mother these are amazing. I only used 4 tsp of salt and that was enough for me and I had to drain off a lot more water than I had anticipated at first. These put canned beans to shame. I did do my overnight soaking just because I have always done that - never knew why until I read the above comments. I will honestly probably never buy canned refried beans again. I could just eat them straight from the crock pot. I used my emersion blender and it was so easy. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteApril, I totally understand about the color. Long ago when I was a canned bean-eater (is that a real term?) and I made these beans for the first time... well I thought I'd blown it. NOPE! Huge success! I think they must add something to the canned version that results in a darker color. Anyway, YAY! I'm so glad you liked 'em!
DeleteOk seriously, these make some of the best refried beans I have ever eaten. and I used them to make the bean burritos which are also awesome. I put 30 back in my freezer! I grew up in a mexican food restaraunt and have sampled ALOT of beans LOL! Don't be afraid to try this recipe its so easy!
ReplyDeleteWOW! Thanks for the high praise. :) Glad you like them!
DeleteMaking these right now - only thing is, I could not fit 10 cups of water in my crockpot! I soaked the beans over night (and then some) so they were super plump! I am hoping with only 8 cups of water that everything turns out okay. They smell fantastic.
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
DeleteThey should turn out fine. (I end up draining excess water) The salt, garlic, and cumin might be a bit stronger than it would normally be, but flavor is never a bad thing. Still... let me know how they turn out, okay?
These are the best beans I have ever had. I am about to make them for the searond time, and I seriously cant wait to eat them. My Dad is very picky about his beans and he thought these were better than my Mexican Grandfather's! One tip: I saved the extra juice I drained to "re-generate" the beans after they had been refrigerated or frozen. Thank you for sharing your amazing recipe!
ReplyDeleteWow, Rachel! What a nice compliment! I think I may be blushing... :)
DeleteThanks for the tip on saving the extra liquid from the beans!
My family loves this. I add a small can of salsa after they cook, also. I have tried it with black beans and it is also good. I put it on low right before we go to bed and we wake up to amazing smells. Or I start it in the morning, but they are hectic and rarely get it done before 10. We have 8 kids and it is cheaper than opening many cans of beans. I haven't gotten around to freezing it because it gets eaten so fast.
ReplyDeleteAfter the beans are cooked and mashed, I add leftover bacon grease for flavoring along with cumin and garlic salt. Beef and bean burritos. Fry and drain a pound (or what every you have) of good 80/20 ground beef. Drain extra fat. Add to beans, add chopped green chilies (canned). Stir and season to taste. Freezes well.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to try this! I love easy AND saving money. Score! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're going to love them, Deborah! They really are that good. Let me know how they turn out for you, okay? :)
DeleteI found this recipe linked on Money Saving Mom, and I would appreciate it even more if you offered a printer-friendly version of this recipe like she does on her site! Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteOops! Just saw it . . . all the way at the top. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi, as a bachelor who loves mexican food I'm very interested in this recipe but was wondering if you had any suggested recipes to use WITH the beans? I mean I can see maybe making burrito's with them and adding some cheese but I don't even know how much to use per flour tortilla or how to wrap those rascals correctly. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi famewolf,
DeleteThese beans are great with a lot of things (primarily Mexican-food): tacos, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, chimichangas, served as a dip with salsa, guac, cheese, lettuce, and tomato for chips, or on Navajo Tacos. As far as actually making burritos goes, you should check out my recipe for Bean and Cheese Burritos in the Recipe Index section. It even has a step-by-step tutorial on how to fill and fold burritos using flour tortillas.
I hope this helps! Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you for the followup..I will be sure to check the recipe index. Can anyone suggest a rough estimate of how much liquid they are removing before mashing?
DeleteIn the printable version, have you got the HIGH and LOW the wrong way around for the slow cooker times? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Nicola,
DeleteSo, I just double-checked. Everything seems to be in order. :)
I just made these today - so AWESOME (and so super easy). Best of all, they are husband-approved and vegan (I have had to restrict my diet for health reasons but no one else in the family has to). This is a food we can all love together - thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHooray! I'm so glad your whole family can enjoy them together. I run into issues of members of my family not agreeing on the same dish quite often. (I tend to have more exotic tastes than my children... and sometimes simpler tastes than my husband). Having recipes that ALL of my family will enjoy is a wonderful thing. I'm so glad this one fits the bill for yours.
DeleteI'm confused on the time to leave these in the crock pot. It says HIGH for 4 hours and LOW for 2 hours. But every recipe for a crock pot puts the high temperature for less time - since it is cooking at a higher temperature it will cook faster, and puts Low using more time.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary Ellen,
DeleteSorry it's confusing! I came up with this recipe myself, and I was unaware of any typical "rules" for crockpot cooking. I just know that the 4 hours on HIGH and 2 hours on LOW works perfectly. I'm sure it would also work with different times and temps. (These beans are kinda hard to mess up... they can't really get overcooked). Again, sorry about the confusion!
Amazing! Great, easy recipe. Found it on Pinterest. I soaked my beans in salted water overnight and I'm cooking them in two batches as my slowcooker is smaller size. The first batch just finished and taste great with a smooth texture. I ran out of fresh garlic and so I'm hoping my second batch tastes just as good after adding some garlic powder!
ReplyDeleteI made my way over here through pinterest, and tried this recipe today. So GREAT! I grew up in San Antonio, TX but have been living in the midwest for about 10 years now. I am a self-proclaimed Tex-Mex snob and let me tell ya, this recipe makes me feel like I am sitting in my fave tex-mex joints back in SA. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow! High praise. :) I think they're pretty awesome, myself, but it's always nice to hear that I'm not the only one. :) Thanks for taking time to say so!
DeleteI found a 25 lb. bag of pinto beans on closeout at Kroger for $11! I am SO excited to try your recipe!
ReplyDeleteScore!!! That's great! :)
DeleteAmazing. Absolutely delicious! I soaked the beans overnight and rinsed really well before cooking. Now I can't wait to try it with black beans!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I tried this tonight and the beans turned out amazing! I think it's the BEST refried beans I've ever had. Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteDo you suppose you could use great northern beans with this recipe?
ReplyDeleteI'd imagine they'd cook up fine... although I've never done it personally. They'd probably make for some super yummy white bean chili... or in ham & bean soup. I'd have to try them first to let you know for sure though.
DeleteYum! Thank you so much for the recipe. I put them on low and overslept. They still turned out great. My husband said they were better than the restaurant beans.
ReplyDeleteWe made these this weekend as well. The only thing I changed was to use dried, minced onion. (It was all I had ... ) They were fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteMade these today. Thank you so much for your amazing recipe! I tried it with the 1 tsbp of salt and it was perfect for my taste. I had two bean burritos for dinner ;)
ReplyDeleteWe started making these a few months ago and have made several batches. These are awsome. I like that I can freeze them in small containers and just heat some up for quick buritos. We also use it to make a cheese and bean dip which taste great. I may have to heat some up when I get home later.
ReplyDeleteO M G!!!! I just got done mashing my beans and had to jump on the computer to say W O W!!! THANK YOU! Your recipe gave me the courage to cook my first batch of beans ever! I never wanted to attempt it because of all the prep work, your recipe made it easy. And they taste incredible!!!! I will serriously never buy a can again! I was able to get a two lb bag of beans, the minced garlic,onion and the cumin all at the .99cent store, wow what a bargain these are!!! Now the next three batches will only cost $3!! (3 more bags of beans, as there is more garlic cumin and onions enough to do so) I feel like i won the food lottery! ;) Thanks again for such a wonderful blog and such wonderful recipes!!!!! ~Jenn~
ReplyDeletejust want to confirm...this is my 1st time trying to make refried beans. is it 4 hours on HIGH and 2 hours on low? or the other way around? i have them cooking on high right now for 4 hours, but i thought that if you had more time, you set it on low. and if you have less time, you set it on high, since the temp is higher. thanks!
ReplyDeletenever mind. i read through the comments, and saw that it is 4 hours on high AND 2 hours on low. not either or, as i am used to seeing crockpot recipes. my bad. well, dinner will be ready at 7, instead of 5 tonight. i am making 4 dozen burritos with these beans. some are for dinner tonight, and the rest are to freeze for post-baby meals! may try to take out our dinner portion beans after 4 hours, and see if they can work for dinner without the extra 2 hours. thanks!
ReplyDeleteWe made these yesterday. SO GOOD! Each of my 4 picky eaters DEVOURED them! My 7 year-old said "These beans are so good ... I can't stop eating them!" It is such a good feeling as a mom for my kids to love something so wholesome, with no weird added chemicals/ingredients. I think these should be compared to Baja Fresh or Cafe Rio beans (save even more $$) because these beans aren't even in the same league as the canned stuff! Thanks for the recipe. I see these becoming a staple in our home. (love your Blog, Andrea-- you do a great job. -love your Roomie, Laura)
ReplyDelete"Laura Gwen Webb!!!!!.... Haycock." :)
DeleteI miss you! It's so fun to see your name on here, and even more fun that you liked the recipe. (These beans are pretty much the bomb.com around here...) Thanks for the high praise, and I'm super happy that your kiddos liked them. I have some semi-picky eaters too, and sometimes it makes me want to pull my hair out. Luckily, I have a few recipes in my arsenal that are kid-pleasers, so if all else fails, I turn to those... these beans are one of those recipes. My kids have yet to turn up their nose at a bean burrito. :) Well, my dear old roomi, I love ya, and I hope all is well with you and your sweet family. Take care!
Thank you for posting this recipe!! This is my favorite "refried bean" recipe because a) it's so easy and b) it tastes the best of any recipe I have ever tried and c) I love that it's a slow cooker recipe and I don't have to babysit it. I will be directing anyone I know to this awesome recipe!!
ReplyDeleteAngela
Yum, so good and simple! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI've made these twice in the last 2 months (since discovering this recipe). THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I love refried beans but do not like eating them out of the can.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I have read that soaking the beans helps make them more digestible. True?
Delicious either way! :)
Hi Shanna. I'm so happy you like the beans! As far as digestability goes, I suppose since all the research says "yes" they're more digestible when pre-soaked, the answer to your question is yes. However, with pinto beans, the difference must not be very great. I've made these beans many many times soaked and not soaked. I have yet to detect a difference. :) Hope this helps!
DeleteI have had this recipe for awhile but had not made them until last night. I can't keep my spoon out of them, they are soooo good. I did add bacon grease after removing excess liquid, about half cup. Will never ever buy canned again!
ReplyDeleteFound this recipe on pinterest... made it today... the family agreed best "refried" beans ever!!!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe will definitely go into our rotation! Thanks for sharing!
I made these today for my daughter's birthday party (taco bar). They are FABULOUS. Great recipe. So easy & hands off.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!