Thursday Recipe - Slow-Cooker Refried Beans

Beans are healthy and they can taste good. It's even better if they're easy to cook. Many people shy away from using dried beans. They can take a long time to cook, but they are very economical and good for you. Let your slow-cooker do the work for you with this recipe.

Slow-Cooker Refried Beans

1 1/2 c. dried pinto beans (you can use other kinds, pintos just make the best refried beans)
5 c. hot water
2 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder (more or less, if you like it use more, if not use less)
4 c. hot water (no, it's not a mistake)

Place dried beans and 5 c. hot water into a 2-qt saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let them sit for an hour.

Drain the beans. Rinse a few times. They should be mostly plumped up by now.

Dump the beans into a small slow-cooker - 1.5 to 2 quart size should be about right. Add the salt and garlic powder. Bring the 4 c. hot water to a boil. Pour over the beans, just enough to cover. You may need a little less or a little more.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours, adding water as needed to keep the beans covered.

Stir the beans and check how soft they are. If they aren't soft enough to start smashing, add a little more water if needed and cook them longer.

Stir the beans about once an hour. They should start falling apart as you stir them, so do it vigorously. Keep cooking and stirring the beans until they are the consistency you like.

Check the seasonings, adding more salt and/or garlic to taste.

Thursday Recipe - Layered Bean Dip

From scratch! Yep, you read that right. Refried beans and guacamole and everything except the cheese and sour cream from scratch. It isn't as hard as you might think.

Layered Bean Dip

3 c. refried beans (recipe follows)
1 small can chopped green chilies (or make your own)
1 c. shredded cheese, cheddar or jack preferred
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa (how about this recipe)
1/2 c. mini bell peppers, chopped
1/2 c. chopped olives

Layer everything in the order given. Serve with plenty of tortilla chips.

If you want a hot dip, layer the first three ingredients, then bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and add the rest of the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Refried Beans (not really fried but smashed until it resembles the canned stuff)

2 c. dried pinto beans
plenty of water
1 T. salt
1 t. garlic powder

Rinse the beans in cold water. Place in a saucepan and add 4 c. very hot water. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans soak for an hour.

Drain the beans. Add 4 c. of fresh hot water. Cover and simmer for 3-4 hours until the beans are soft. The water should be mostly gone by this point. If the beans get too dry while cooking, add more water 1/2 c. at a time. You want just enough to cover the beans.

This is the tricky part. You don't want a lot of liquid when you smash the beans up, but you want to save the cooking liquid from the beans in case your beans are too dry when smashing. You want a gloppy consistency but not a runny one. Make sense? Good, I'm confused now, too.

Smash the beans with a potato masher until they're the consistency that you want for refried beans. Some people like them chunkier. That's just fine. If they get too dry while you're smashing add in some of the saved bean cooking liquid.

Once you have the beans as smooth as you want them, stir in the salt and garlic powder. Taste and add more if you want. Some people like cumin in the refried beans, but I usually pass on it.

Store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Makes a nice big pile of beans - about 5 cups.