In this Master Mix, I can get 3 quart sized bags with 2 cups each of refried beans. The crockpot does most of the work! I keep the seasonings simple, so feel free to use it as a base recipe and change it up for your own taste!
Master Mix: "Refried Beans"
Ingredients:
1 onion peeled and cut in half
3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
2 Tablespoons minced or granulated garlic
4 teaspoons salt (can reduce this our leave it out!)
9 cups water
Optional:
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Directions:
Place all ingredients into the crock pot and stir to combine.
Cook on high for 8 hours. Add more water as needed.
Once beans are cooked to tender, strain them over a bowl to reserve the liquid (you'll need it in a minute!)
In a large bowl, mash the beans with a potato masher. Add reserved liquid as needed to attain your desired consistency. ( I tend to use about 3 ladle fulls (1/2 cup ladle).
Divide into freezer containers/bags.
Freeze till ready to use.
Thaw and warm before serving.
Jan's tips: 1) You can run this through your food process or mix with a hand mixer if you want additional help making it super creamy.
2) Many of you may ask if you need to pre-soak/soften your dry beans overnight (8 hours before cooking them). They will cook up faster and use less water in your cooking if you pre-soak them. I happen to be using up a large amount of very old pinto beans that are having a hard time cooking all the way to tender (typical for beans that are older or stored improperly), so I do pre-soak them overnight in a bowl of water. Always drain the water they soaked in and cook them in fresh water. (It helps reduce the ummm. well the gas
