Easy Slow Cooker Refried Beans

By Addie

I think I might be a little late getting on this bandwagon, but refried beans with melted cheese on a warm homemade whole-wheat tortilla is the bomb! Oh and don’t forget to top it with a little sour cream. I seriously cannot believe I am just figuring out how good this combination is. The reason why though is because I didn’t think I liked refried beans. That’s what happens when you only try them out of a can. But much like the difference between store-bought and homegrown tomatoes…homemade refried beans are light-years beyond the canned stuff! And with this super easy recipe below there is no excuse not to make them yourself.

I am even going to pull out a bullet point list to tell you all the reasons why I like this recipe so much:

- Beans in general are super cheap and a good source of protein
- You don’t have to soak these dried beans overnight (which I often forget to do)
- They are sooo easy to make you could even do it with one hand tied behind your back :)
- You can freeze the leftovers for another day
- And for me, since I don’t normally love beans for textural reasons, this mashed up version is the perfect way to make them extra good

Ingredients

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 big pinch of cumin
• 6 cups water

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.

Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight while you are sleeping.

Remove the bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid. If desired, save excess liquid until the final product is desired consistency.

Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and voila! You have homemade refried beans.