Monday, July 16, 2012

Bean & Cheese Burritos with Crock Pot Refried Beans


Lovely refried beans from scratch, made in the crock pot no less, and a delicious bean and cheese burrito perfect for lunch.  Easy, delicious, and wholesome, knowing everything that's going into these recipes, what's not to love?  Super filling and full of flavor, this a is a great recipe.  You can make it in two parts, starting the beans a head of time and either freezing or refrigerating them until you are ready to make the burritos.  Or make just the beans and use them for some other fun recipe, like a warm bean dip or as a side for enchiladas or some other fun dish.

Through a weird twist of fate, I was again assigned to Heather from Fit Mama Real Food for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  Since I posted Heather's hummus in May, she has welcomed her beautifully adorable Hunter.  But before he came along, Heather loaded her freezer full of quick meals for her and her husband to help keep them fed and happy while caring for their new little bundle.  While I thought about going back to some of Heather's recipes that caught my eye last time I spun through her blog for Secret Recipe Club, I stopped at Heather's post on stocking her freezer because she posted a refried beans recipe.  Not only that, but she posted something to do with the great big quantity of beans (freezer burritos!) and I knew Dave and I would love these.  You know our devotion to Mexican food and I thought these burritos would be perfect lunches for me to take to work or easy for Dave to grab and heat up when he has a busy day working from home.  So it's a two-for-one post thanks to Heather's perfect bean recipe and her excellent way to consume those beans!  I thought these were perfect as is, but definitely adapt the burritos to your liking (maybe a little less beans and toss in some shredded chicken). 



For more information on Secret Recipe Club, visit the website and be sure to check out the rest of the recipes in this week's reveal through the blog hop below.


Crock Pot Refried Beans


Ingredients

5 cups dried pinto beans
1 large onion

2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
13 3/4 cups water

Pick through beans for any broken pieces, rocks or other inedibles. Rinse and drain.


Transfer beans to a large crock pot (Note: I used a 6 quart).  Dice onion and add to beans.  Then add cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne.


Cover with water and stir to combine.


Cook on low for 8-10 hours.


Place a strainer over a large bowl and drain out excess water.  Reserve water.


Transfer beans to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher, adding reserved water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency.



Transfer mashed beans to containers, allow to cool completely and freeze.  Or put in refrigerator until ready to make burritos.


Makes about 10 cups.

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Bean & Cheese Burritos


Ingredients

6 cups refried beans
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 8-inch tortillas

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons shredded cheese in the center of a tortilla.


Spread 1/2 cup refried beans on top of cheese.


Fold in the top and bottom parts of the tortilla, then the sides, into a burrito shape.



Place face down on a tray or baking sheet.


Repeat until all 12 burritos are made, then freeze in a single layer.  When completely frozen, transfer to a zip top bag.


To reheat, microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

Makes 12 burritos.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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22 comments:

  1. So fun that you got me again! Glad you guys enjoyed the burritos and beans. Don't you love how simple the crockpot makes them?!

    I loved them and having so many freezer meals on hand. Gotta make more since we're just about out!

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    1. Those beans are so easy and so good, Heather. Thanks for sharing them! Hopefully Hunter gives you a few good naps so you can restock the freezer!

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  2. What a great idea to use the crock pot and then to freeze batches. They look so good, I can't wait to try them.

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  3. I've never tried to make refried beans in the slow cooker. Bet they are so much better than out of a can!

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  4. Those look awesome. I've only made refried beans a couple of times, however, using them in a burrito is new. I'd load it up with tons of other stuff as well - probably wouldn't be able to close it :-)

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    1. Dan--it would have been so easy to keep loading these up. I have some shredded beef and shredded chicken in the freezer that I want to incorporate in my next batch.

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  5. I'm going to have to try freezing these for easy lunches or dinners this year!

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    1. Camille, these are perfect to have on hand for those busy nights when everyone has somewhere to be and you don't have a lot of time, but want to serve something wholesome.

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  6. mmm, i've been wanting refried beans for awhile. i need to make some!

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  7. Hi Colleen, this looks like a lovely meatless meal option. I had your blog this month and whipped up your Cinnamon Bars. We really enjoyed them. Thank you.

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  8. Hi Colleen, I never thought beans would freeze well, but in their mashed state, I now realize they can be frozen well. I love using the slow cooker for things that take forever on the stove and cook out very quickly. Yummy recipe and lovely photos!

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    1. Lynne, beans freeze beautifully mashed or whole. Definitely worth doing. Thanks for the kind words--I'm still working on my photo skills!

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  9. A lovely post for SRC, that must be tasting delicious, being a vegetarian I love my legumes and lentils and they are part of my everyday cooking :)

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  10. Colleen, the beans look amazing and so easy. Love the idea of making an (inexpensive) big pot and freezing for lots of future uses.

    Denise

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    1. Denise--I didn't do the math, but I'm fairly certain that whole pot of beans cost me less than $2. You can barely get a couple cans of beans for that!

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  11. We just love Bean Burritos I could eat them every day and never get tired of them. This is a great recipe and great selection for SRC!
    Miz Helen
    Group B SRC

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  12. Anything that can be made in a slow cooker is my idea of wonderful. These look delicious. Visiting from SRC.

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  13. Ok, you know I love this because I love knowing what is going into my food! Refried beans are so delicious, but I always wonder exactly what is in the ones you buy at the store. We also know how much I love my slow cooker! I've been wanting to do the whole freezer burrito thing for a while, this may be just the push I needed!

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    1. Absolutely worth it, Steph. Especially on those nights you come home late and think you're going to have cereal for dinner and poof--you've got burritos already in the freezer. Enjoy!

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  14. Yum...I've been wanting to try making refried beans...I'm marking this...

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  15. Your beans are so easy, I'm saving this recipe.

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my group "A" SRC entry: Double Chocolate Mousse Cake.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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