Frugal Foodie Friday - Slow-Cooker Refried Beans with Salsa and Refried Bean Burritos

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's Frugal Foodie Friday and tonight's focus is beans. Beans are often worked into the meals of those who must closely watch their food budgets. Fortunately, they are cheap, nutritious and can be delicious when they are properly prepared. I have a series of recipes to share with you tonight, but the jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the fat-free refried beans which are made in a slow-cooker. I've adapted a popular internet recipe to the tastes of my family, and while it makes a lot of refried beans, they, fortunately, can be frozen and used as needed for other meals. Tonight, however, I'm using a portion of them as the base for a low cost burrito supper, that is especially appealing to children and teenagers. To keep costs under control, I've also made the salsa that is used to flavor the burritos. The beans, of course, take time to cook, but they can be ready for the slow-cooker in about 5 minutes. The salsa and the burritos are also quick to make. If your family enjoys Mexican-style food and you are looking for a meatless entree, I hope you'll give this series of recipes which follow a try.

I came across this article on Shine and I thought some of you might find the story of a family's voluntarily participation in the SNAP program interesting. Their story can be found here.



Slow-Cooker Refried Beans...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and sorted
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
6 cups of water

Directions:
Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low for 8 hours, adding up to one additional cup of water if beans appear to be dry as they cook. Reserving liquid, strain beans into bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth, adding reserved bean bean liquid to achieve desired consistency. Adjust salt to taste. If not used immediately chill or freeze. Yield: 3-1/2 cups.



Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, sugar and salt in bowl of a food processor. Cover and process until desired consistency. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.



Rice and Refried Bean Burritos...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine 

Ingredients:
2 cups refried beans
1 cup salsa
1 cup cooked white or brown rice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 flour tortillas (6 to 7 inches)

Directions:
1) Combine beans, salsa, rice and 1 cup cheese in a bowl. Spoon about 1/3 cup off-center on each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up.
2) Arrange burritos in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25
minutes or until heated through. Yield: 1 dozen.







One Year Ago Today: Asian-Style Caramelized Pork














Two Years Ago Today: Peanutty Icebox Cheese Cake















Three Years Ago Today: Flower Pot Bread