So Easy Why Didn't I Always Do This?

We eat quite a few Mexican inspired meals around here and one of our standbys is "tacos".  Yes, your typical American meal of refried beans, ground seasoned meat, corn and/or flour tortillas as well as a host of toppings.  Up until a few weeks ago I would buy the refried beans in the can - but no more.

One good thing about making our own is that dried beans are cheap.  I buy a one pound package - which I get 2 meals out of - and it cost me less than a dollar most times.  But the best thing?  It tastes so much better than anything coming out of a can.  (Okay, truth in advertising here, Liam (gasp) prefers the canned stuff - but mostly because that's what he's used to I think - mine has flavor, the canned stuff, um, doesn't.)

I don't have a recipe per say, but that makes it all the better.  Nothing to look up, nothing much to remember.  Oh, except to put the beans in the crockpot in the morning.  That's important.  I use 1/2 a pound of beans in my 1 1/2 quart crockpot - cover them completely with water by about 2 inches (after I've picked through them, taking out all the non-bean pieces, and rinsing them), set it to high for about an hour and a half and then turning it to low.  Let that cook all day until you're ready for dinner.

Make up anything else you'd like to eat with it - beef, chicken, pork; lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion.  And get together any condiments you'd like as well:  shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce.

Now heat up a saute pan with a small amount of oil (or bacon fat) and saute a few of those onions you just cut up for the finished tacos.  Not too many - you don't want to overwhelm the flavor of the beans, so maybe a small handful is all.  Once they're soft start adding in spoonfuls of the cooked beans with a little cooking liquid, a sprinkling of salt, and then mash away.  Usually takes me about 6 or 7 spoonfuls to get it all mashed up - I don't like to do it all at once.  Add liquid as you need to make sure it's not too dry and taste it to see if it needs more salt.

Once all the beans are mashed, you're ready to go.

See, simple, easy, and best of all you know what went into them. 

 

Comments

[Claire]

I LOVE refried beans! I've never made them either... could be something to try.