Making "Refried" Beans

My children really love bean dip. Really love it. With non-GMO corn chips, of course. But regular cans of refried beans contain MSG, and organic cans are way too pricey. So we make our own. Here's what we do:


First, we start by sorting through a 2-pound bag of pinto beans, taking out any bad beans or rocks. Yes, we find rocks in the beans sometimes.


Next, we leave the beans to soak overnight. Place the beans in your crockpot. Fill the crockpot with water. Add two tablespoons of plain yogurt (or lemon juice) to break down the phytic acid, make the beans more digestible, and make the nutrients more available. Cover and leave overnight.


The next morning, rinse the beans and place them back in the crockpot. Cover them with chicken stock so that the stock just barely covers the beans. You can also use beef stock, but it gives a stronger flavor. This time around I used some chicken stock that my sweet sister-in-law brought to me.

Add about two tablespoons of chili powder, one tablespoon of salt, one tablespoon of garlic and two teaspoons of cumin. (Of course, if your stock is highly seasoned, you'll want to cut down on those seasonings.)


Let the beans cook on low for 12 to 16 hours. I cooked these for about 16 hours. Store the beans AND cooking juice in the refrigerator until ready to make into Bean Dip.


To make the bean dip, first make your "refried beans" by putting your cooked beans and the cooking juice through the food processor in batches. Here Spiderman has done the first batch and you can see the beans that are left in the pot ready for processing.





Boys love power tools. And power appliances. Spiderman is a very willing kitchen helper if it involves the food processor. Here is the first batch of "refried beans" he made. This is when they are quite warm. They get a little more firm as they cool. If you like your "refried beans" even more firm, leave out a bit of the cooking juice.

Next, we mix the beans with salsa and cover the mixture with cheese. That's what Tickle is doing below.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is soft and bubbly. Serve with non-GMO corn chips. The 2-pound bag of beans made enough for our family to have bean dip for a Saturday lunch, to take to a church pot luck the next Sunday, and for another lunch (just the kids and me) on Monday.

I hope you enjoy this healthy alternative to an all-time favorite party food!

For more Real Food ideas, check out GNOWFGLINS (God's Natural, Organic, Whole Foods Grown Locally, In Season) Tuesday Twister Blog Carnival.