Crock Pot Refried Beans

These beans are perfection.  Simply throw all the ingredients in your crock pot in the morning and by dinner time you've got a healthy dish without all the added chemicals and junk found in the canned refried beans.  Plus- they taste AMAZEBALLS good!  Trust me on this one!

If you don't have a crock pot, you can easily cook these on your stove top.  Simply simmer on low until your beans are cooked all the way through.

Homemade Refried Beans

1 bag dried pinto beans
1 jalapeno, seeded & cut
1 onion, quartered
4-6 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 small handful fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
6 cups water

Step 1-  Toss everything in your crock pot.  I like to use a combination of bell peppers depending on what I have on hand.  So many times I throw in lots of different colors- red, green, yellow...really, you can't go wrong here!  Another tip- you do NOT need fresh cilantro.  You can leave it out or substitute with dried- but we always seem to have cilantro on hand so I typically just toss in a small handful, stems and all!

Step 2- Cook on high for 8-10 hours.

Step 3- Drain out almost all of the water.  Reserve about 1 cup for adding back in later.

Step 4- Get out your immersion blender and blend baby, blend!  Add in some of your saved bean water to get the consistency you want.  Remember that the beans will naturally thicken up over time.  So a little watery is OK because when you eat them the next day, they will have thickened overnight.

And that's it.  Now you're enjoying delicious, homemade refried beans without any added junk!  PLUS- you've just made them healthier with all those added veggies!  Yeah Buddy!