Non-fried Beans

Elijah, my three-year-old, loves Roserita Refried Beans. He's at that stage where the same thing for lunch

e v e r y d a y is just fine with him, and preferred. If you know what I mean. Sometimes, when something is working, you just don't want to mess with it. So I've been a little leery of trying to make a healthier version of these...afraid he would reject my beans and refuse any and all beans in the future. I actually did try with a TASTY black bean sweet potato mix (that's a recipe I WILL have to share soon!). It didn't fly! Now we classify beans, "Are those black or brown, Mom? I only want brown, ok?" So I got the message..don't mess with the "brown" beans!

BUT...I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com called Non- refried beans. The reviews were excellent, so I decided to tempt fate. The results were great! AND....They passed the kid test!!!!!

This recipe is so yummy (and easy), I can't wait to make it for a family gathering...yes, it's that good!



3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 onion quartered
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
9 cups water

1 jalepeno, optional ( I didn't add this, but I will when making for someone other than my kids)


1.Place the onion, rinsed beans, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin into a slow cooker. Pour in the water and stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding more water as needed. Note: if more than 1 cup of water has evaporated during cooking, then the temperature is too high.

2.Once the beans have cooked, strain them, and reserve the liquid. I removed the onions as well. Using a food processor blend beans until smooth and creamy. You may need to add some of the liquid until it reaches the desired consistency.

This recipe made about 7 cups of non-fried beans. I cooked my beans overnight. I got up once to check the water level and ended up adding a cup of water