Beans, beans and more beans.

This week, I bought a 20 pound bag of pinto beans.  Yep, you read that right.  20 pounds. 

It was only $6.89 for the entire bag.  That works out to 34 cents per pound for beans.  Now that's a bargain. 

So, are you wondering what in the world I'm going to do with that many beans? 

My plan is to make some, freeze some and store some.  Let me explain.

Beans can stretch your budget beyond far.  They are cheap, filling and a great source of protein. 

One of my favorite bean recipes is for re fried beans.  Here's what I do:

Use about 2 pounds of beans, cover with water and let soak overnight.  In the morning, drain, put in the crock pot and add water until just covered.  Then add in one chopped onion, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 TBSP minced garlic. 

Let cook on low all day.  Check often to make sure they don't dry out.  If needed, add some water.  Not too much though...your not making soup.

When they're good and soft, mash with a potato masher. 
If they seem too soupy, put them on the stove to cook down to the right consistency.

Did you notice they're not actually re fried?  Unlike what you get in the restaurants and canned in the grocery store, these don't contain lard.  That's right.  Lard free beans.  That's a good thing.

I then let them cool and use them for all kinds of things: 
Bean burritos, tostados, a side dish.  Sometimes I serve them warmed up with a can of tomatoes on top of rice.  Quick and easy lunch.

You can use regular pinto beans in chili, add them to taco meat to stretch a meal, and don't forget the WV staple - soup beans and cornbread. 

I'm also going to store some dry beans in my canning jars.  If kept dry, beans have a very long shelf life. 



Bean Tostado from Good Cheap Eats

 So don't forget to add beans to your shopping list this week!