When we were newly married, we lived near an excellent Mexican restaurant. We didn’t eat there often, but when we did, I always got a dish that included refried beans. We no longer live near the Mexican restaurant, so I make them at home instead!
This recipe is delicious (and reheats reasonably well). It is a great side dish, but we often eat them as part of an entree. I use the refried beans as a filling in my tacos (in lieu of meat). I combine the beans with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and guacamole. It is absolutely delicious.
The beans are also relatively inexpensive. It costs about $1.65 to make a batch of the beans, and you should be able to get two entree-sized servings out of the batch. If you are serving as a side dish, you should be able to get four servings out of the batch. Enjoy! – Kristin
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Recipe:
Easy Vegetarian Refried Beans
These homemade refried beans are easy, delicious, and cost $0.83 per serving. You'll never go back to the can…
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (more if you like them spicy)
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice, optional
- 1 can (14.5-15.5 ounces) pinto beans, NOT drained
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
- Add diced onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and chili powder and cook for an additional minute.
- Mix in the pinto beans (with liquid from can), the vegetable broth, and lime juice.
- Continue to cook the mixture on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to stir and mash (or mush if you prefer the term) the mixture periodically. The beans are ready when they thicken.
- Serve in tacos, as part of a taco salad, or as a side dish to any Mexican fare.
- Enjoy!
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