Easy-Peasy Refried Beans
The Intentional Mom Planning System is where you need to start with our incredible collection of product options. It will help you establish the basics for your life & home so you’ll finally have a plan, save yourself time, and go to bed feeling like you accomplished something every day (because you did). Save up to 60% HERE!
Are you looking for a recipe for refried beans that is easy-peasy? I have been making my own refried beans in huge batches and freezing them for years since it is so much cheaper and healthier as well. When you make your own things from scratch, you control what goes in. Canned refried beans always seem so salty to me, so making your own from scratch allows you to choose how much salt to add.
I needed an even quicker alternative to my usual recipe the other day since I was really in a time crunch, and what I ended up with was something that the entire family loved even better than the original. If it’s quicker, easier, and tastier, what could be better?
I general, I make my refried beans in my crock pot, but I discovered that my crock pot is actually broken the other day. So, I am waiting on buying a new one now since we are still in the zero spending month! This recipe can just as easily be made in the crock pot as it can on the stove, it will just take a bit more time in your crock pot.
This makes a ton of refried beans, so you can alter it if you are not wanting to make as much, but as long as you are making some, you might as well make a bunch, right? Being efficient and cooking in bulk is such a time saver for me. You can read more about how I save time in the kitchen by reading 8 Meal Prep Tips That Will Save You Loads of Time, How to Set Yourself Up For a Really Great Week, and How to Put Your Freezer to Work!
For this recipe you will need:
- 2 bags of dried pinto beans
- large pan or crock pot
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Cook the beans according to the package instructions and then add on an extra hour or two. You want your beans to be cooked really, really, well. You want them to be very soft as far as beans go, otherwise they won’t be as nice of a consistency when you pull them out of the freezer. I also like to mash mine up quite well, which also requires a very soft bean.
I find that as the beans are cooking away, I continually add water to keep them moist and from sticking to the bottom. I generally add water every 20 minutes or so. If you end up with too much water at the end of the cooking process, you can always drain some away. I seldom find this to be the case, however.
Once your beans are good and soft, add in the salt, the garlic powder, and the cumin. Stir and allow to cook on low for 30 minutes or so to allow flavors to combine. I like to mash mine with a potato masher to make them a smooth consistency with a few chunks. This is how my family likes them best.
To freeze, put whatever size portions you use into individual quart size freezer bags. To avoid freezer burn, I then combine them all and put them into a big gallon size freezer bag. I like to freeze in 1 1/2 cup portions. This is the correct amount for most recipes that I use them in.
See what I mean? Easy-peasy!
You can read about how I make my own black beans by reading here.
