Shortcut Refried Beans Recipes

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute for 4-5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
• Add garlic to melted butter and onions and saute for another minute.
• Add pinto beans (don't wash and drain them first - just dump in the whole can), cumin, chili powder and cayenne powder to skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes or until beans are heated through.
• Using a potato masher, mash beans until they become the consistency that you prefer (my husband likes them completely smooth while I prefer them to be a little chunky. You could also put the beans in a blender to make them super smooth).
• If desired, top with some shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

Steps:

• Grind pinto beans until fine using a food grinder. Place in a saucepan, and whisk in salt, cumin, chili powder, and warm water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until thick, about 15 minutes.
• When the mixture has thickened, stir and cook for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa. Serve as a dip, or use as filling for burritos.

Steps:

• Grind pinto beans until fine using a food grinder. Place in a saucepan, and whisk in salt, cumin, chili powder, and warm water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until thick, about 15 minutes.
• When the mixture has thickened, stir and cook for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salsa. Serve as a dip, or use as filling for burritos.

Steps:

• Gently fry the bacon until near crisp.
• Add onion to the bacon grease and saute until tender.
• Add the refried beans and water.
• Stir and simmer until creamy and heated through.
• Place in a serving bowl and top with shredded cheese.
• The heat of the beans will melt the cheese.
• Serve with hot tortillas and/or tostada chips.

Steps:

• In large pot soak the beans for at least 4 hours. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until soft.
• If necessary, add more water as needed so that the beans do not dry out while cooking. Once beans are cooked, drain beans but *RESERVE* liquid.
• Fry up the bacon slices in large cast iron skillet and set aside to drain on paper towel. Reserve drippings.
• Meanwhile, mince the onion and garlic.
• *Heat a cast iron skillet on medium and saute the onion and garlic in the bacon drippings or solid lard until soft.
• With slotted spoon, transfer the cooked beans to the skillet. Lower temperature to low-medium. Add about a cup of the bean liquid and mix in the beans with the onion and garlic. Begin to mash the beans with a potato masher, adding more bean liquid as necessary to facilitate. Great grandma prepared these beans soupy with about 3/4 of the beans mashed, the remaining left whole. That is how great-grandma cooked them and that is how I like them. Keep mashing beans and adding liquid until soupy and not dry. Lower heat to simmer. Do not allow beans to dry out, adding more bean liquid if needed.
• Crumble the bacon and stir into the beans. Season with salt. Taste and reseason with more salt if necessary. Beans seems to require a good amount of salt to bring out their flavor.
• *NOTE: If you choose to use a cast iron skillet be warned that the iron content will turn lighter colored beans an unattractive pinkish-grey color. This will not affect the taste at all other than adding a bit of extra iron to your diet. If preferred, cook beans in a non-reactive pot.
• Save the bean liquid to rehydrate and reheat any leftovers, but *DO NOT* use plain water to reheat the beans.