Have you ever really looked at refried beans?

(Not my photo, by the way.)

Last night we went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Fiesta Guadalajara, because I was craving their carne asada (mmm... so, so tasty). I love that Mexican restaurants often serve warm corn chips and homemade salsa before your meal comes, and this one serves little bowls of refried beans, too. Well, a few weeks ago on some Saturday or Sunday night, Aaron surprised us all with a dinner consisting of oven-warmed corn chips and a bowl filled with refried beans, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and sour cream for dipping. It was so yummy!! The kids ate and ate and I think we pretty much horked it down until we ran out of dip. Anyway, Hakan kept calling the beans "dirt". He'd grab a chip and reach for the bowl asking for the "dirt". It totally cracked us up. But when we go to this restaurant now, with their lovely little bowls of bean dip, he continues to call it dirt. I was kind of worried that one of the servers would hear him and be offended, and of course it doesn't help that Aaron encourages it and calls the beans dirt, too. Yes, we're enablers, but only when it's funny. Hakan has dubbed Ranch dip "foop", so now it's not Ranch anymore but "foop", officially.

Well, in honor of my beloved refried beans, here's a recipe you should try using the versatile and nutritious pinto bean. We had this at a church activity that was based on how to use food storage- the beans being the key storage ingredient here:

3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chicken broth

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced finely

Place beans into a crock pot and pour enough broth in to cover the beans. Add more broth or a little water if one can isn't enough. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Cook on low for about 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Topping Suggestions:

shredded cabbage

shredded cheese (your favorite kind)

sour cream

diced fresh tomatoes

diced onion

fresh cilantro

fresh lime juice

black olives

jalapenos

salt & pepper

corn chips

Serve beans in a bowl with a little broth. Top with desired ingredients above (or others that you may like) and enjoy! Do not omit the limes, though. The juice is essential to the depth of yumminess that you can create here!