We have been making these beans for about a year now and I cannot get enough of them. They couldn’t be easier to start first thing in the morning, let cook all day, and enjoy for a simple but delicious dinner. These beans go hand-in-hand with the Whole Wheat Tortillas, Erin’s Pulled Pork, and my husband’s homemade guacamole (recipe coming soon). Add some shredded cheddar, sour cream, and dinner is set! Also, this makes a ton – the beans freeze beautifully in a freezer-safe container for another day. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups dried pinto beans, thoroughly rinsed (you can also use black beans if you’d like)
• 6 cups water
• 1 onion, chopped roughly
• 1 jalapeño, diced (If you like a bit of heat like we do, we sometimes add a jalapeño and a serrano or a poblano… you can’t mess this up. If you aren’t so into spice, either omit the pepper entirely or seed it and just use half.)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2-4 crushed cloves of garlic

METHOD:

1. Dump your rinsed pinto beans into the crock-pot, pour in the water. Add your chopped onion, garlic, pepper, and spices. Give it a stir and cover.
2. Let this cook on high for 8-10 hours.
3. Remove the biggest chunks of onion and the excess liquid. With a potato masher, mash the beans until they are the consistency you’d like them to be. If you want them extra smooth, save some of the excess liquid to add back in while mashing.
4. These are SO delicious and taste like restaurant quality beans.  Enjoy!

*Use organic ingredients whenever possible

**Adapted from 100 Days of Real Food.