There are refried beans, and there are refried beans, I do mean the healthier variety. We do enjoy them now and then, especially when we have my Slow-Cooker Salsa Verde Pork. Refried beans are a must accompaniment.
This Refried Beans My Way recipe really isn’t refried beans at all, but they sure look like them. To make them even more enticing I start with dried pinto beans and make it from scratch. So if you’re looking for a healthier version of refried beans, look no more.
Refried Beans My Way
Ingredients: This makes up to 12 – ½ cups servings (6 cups)
- 1 lb. dried pinto beans
- 8 cups water (two different times)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 to 3 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
Directions:
Thoroughly rinse the dried pinto beans and remove any debris or dark and shriveled beans.
Place the rinsed beans in a 4-quart pan with 8 cups of water, or enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally and checking for the desired tenderness. Add a bit of liquid as needed. When the beans are soft and tender, add the onions, garlic a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 30 minutes. Add the butter and mix until melted and thoroughly incorporated. Move the mixture to a large mixing bowl. Mash the beans until they are the desired consistency. Taste the refried beans and season as needed with additional salt and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for few days. They reheat very nicely.
Notes: If you’ve made way more than you can eat, these refried beans freeze beautifully. Just make sure to let them fully thaw before you reheat them. If you prefer, you can soak your beans overnight. Just follow the first part of the process and then soak the beans overnight, then start cooking from there. The fun part about this recipe is you can replace the pinto beans with other bean varieties such as black beans… yum. You can vary the seasonings and add things like bits of bacon, diced jalapenos and such. Experiment a bit and have some fun.
If you want to bypass the dried beans process, you may use 2-14 oz cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed. You would need to saute the diced onion and garlic cloves with the butter to a translucent stage, warm the canned beans then add in the onion-garlic mixture, season to your liking and mash away.
So what do you think? Do you think you’d like to give this a whirl? Aw, come on, put on that apron and get to cooking this super simple side dish to serve with those tacos of yours or my soon to be posted Crockpot Salsa Verde Pork Roast. 😀
Time to eat…
If you enjoyed my “Refried Beans My Way,” check out my Pea and Cheese Salad, Smashed Lemon Potatoes, and my Black Bean Soup. Enjoy.
P.S. Take a moment to check out some of the tools I used for this “Refried Beans My Way” below. 🙂