Pioneer Womans Refried Beans Recipe 455

Steps:

• For the best basic beans: Cover the beans with cold water to cover by 1 inch, and soak at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Rinse the beans and place them in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Top with the garlic, bacon, bay leaves, onion, salt and pepper. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, then mix and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover the pot halfway (meaning, don't place the lid tightly on the pot) and cook until the liquid is thick and the beans are tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. (Continue to simmer if it needs more time.)
• Serve topped with grated Cheddar and diced red onion.
• For the Tex-Mex beans: Follow the basic beans recipe above, adding the jalapenos, chili powder and hot sauce with the bacon and other ingredients. Simmer the beans according to the directions above. Serve topped with a dollop each of guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
• For the Cajun beans: Follow the basic beans recipe above, adding the andouille sausage, paprika, chile flakes and thyme with the bacon and other ingredients. Simmer the beans according to the directions above. Serve topped with sliced green onions.

Steps:

• Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook until the spices are toasted and the garlic has softened, 1 minute. Add the pinto beans, chicken stock and chipotle puree and bring to a boil. Cook until the stock has reduced by about half and the mixture has thickened, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Off the heat, mash the beans to a smooth paste with a potato masher, leaving some beans partially mashed to add some texture. The beans should have the consistency of a thick sauce; if they're difficult to stir, they're too thick. If needed, thin the beans out with extra chicken stock, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Finish by stirring in the lime juice and adding salt to taste. Garnish with queso fresco and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Steps:

• First make a batch of my homemade pinto beans: 4 cups dried pinto beans 4 slices thick cut bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons black pepper Rinse the beans under cool water. If you see any little strange looking bits in there, pick them out and discard. Put the beans in a Dutch oven (or similarly large pot) and fill with water until 2 inches above the beans. Throw the bacon in the pot, and bring everything to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about two hours until nice and thick. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Next, if you want to spice up your refried beans, add any of the optional ingredients listed above. Now, spoon the cooked beans into a mixing bowl. Allow a little of the cooking liquid in there, too. If you like your refried beans a bit soupy, add a little more liquid. Then, with a potato masher, simply mash away! Next throw in some fat like shortening, lard, bacon grease or even a few tablespoons of butter. You can certainly omit this step if you're trying to cut down on fat but it really contributes to the smooth consistency, and in the case of the bacon grease and butter, the flavor of the refried beans. Now continue mashing until the mixture reaches desired consistency. You can leave them quite lumpy or make them super smooth - it all depends on how much you mash. Then, go ahead and season them to taste. Even if the cooked beans were seasoned, the mashed version might need a little more salt. If you prefer to actually fry the refried beans, you can do the mashing in a large skillet over medium-low heat but you don't have to.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the bacon until almost cooked. Add the jalapenos, onions and bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beans, mustard, barbecue sauce, ketchup and hot sauce, and heat through.