I like to stock up on cans of refried beans when they go on sale, it's considerably easier than making refried beans. Don't get me wrong I like making my own beans, I prefer homemade over canned but sometimes it's just too easy to open up a can and get going with dinner.
Sadly, I had no cans of refried beans hidden in the pantry and I had no time to make beans from scratch not even with a quick soak method, you really have to plan ahead to make refried beans so that they are ready in time for dinner. When I do make beans from scratch I like to make a large batch and freeze meal sized portions.
Tonight I got creative and it worked. I had a can of pinto beans (the kind for chilies and soups) I cooked a little onion and garlic until soft added the can of beans, some cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. I could have just mashed the beans but I like a "creamy" consistency so into the blender the spicy bean mixture went. The result tasted great and was just what I wanted. While not as convenient as opening up a can of refried beans or having some homemade beans in the freezer ready to go, it worked in a pinch.
We ate our double decker tacos and they were fantastic.
I am always proud when I make use of what I have in my pantry, it makes me feel creative and it saves me money.
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4 comments:
I love refried beans and was thrilled when I found a recipe to do them in the crockpot - but you do have to plan ahead! Thanks for sharing this quick fix!
Blessings,
Liisa
This is a great tip. You should proud for using what you had and making it come out great!
I enjoyed reading your post about using what you had on hand. We also eat lots of beans at our house, and I often times use my hand grinder to grind pinto beans. I add water and spices to the mixture, cook for a few minutes and enjoy. Makes great refried beans or bean dip! I sometimes keep baggies of this mixture available for a quick lunch or snack. It's like having instant/convenience food on hand.
momofthirteen
Well Im from England and have never heard of refried beans, but guess they must be good, so off now to google them, I love to try new things, and I never throw left over away, I always say it was because I was brought up in the War years when we had to be extra careful. Also going to read your link for Frugal tips.
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