Refried Beans, Mississipppi Style

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 large ripe bell pepper, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup salsa

1 four-ounce can chopped chiles

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Salsa (Hot or Mild)

Preparation

Soak dried beans overnight in water.

Next day, rinse beans in colandar, add beans to sauce pan, cover beans with water, and bring to a boil; simmer beans on medium or low heat until tender (do not add seasonings, including salt until Step 3), and drain in a colandar. Puree beans in food processor.

Sautee chopped onion, ripe pepper, and minced garlic in iron skillet until onion is transparent; add beans, salt and other seasonings, and 1/2 cup salsa (hot or mild) and mix thoroughly; cook until browned on one side, turn beans and brown other side. Add beans to a baking dish, cover with grated cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is bubbling. Serve, allowing guests to garnish with cilantro and salsa to taste.

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About

Not pleased with the watery texture of refried beans in most of our Mexican restaurants, we experimented with this recipe until we achieved a more substantial and flavorful texture. This obviously takes planning, but the results reward the effort. This is an excellent vegetarian dish for protein, and it is a great accompaniment to dishes such as our Rotel Squash dish, Mexican/Spanish Rice, Guacamole, or other south of the border recipes.