Bacon Beans

I always love the refried beans that we get at Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants.  I have tried to get the same result at home, but the refried beans in a can are most definitely not the same thing!  I know I could probably get closer if I made my own from dried beans, but I haven’t tried that yet.  And besides, as much as I love to cook, there are days when I just want to do something fast and get it on the table!

Yesterday, we came home from church and I started lunch.  Two of the menu items were easy.  Taquitos and Mexican rice.  The taquitos were frozen and just needed to cook in the oven.  The rice was in a bag and just needed to be mixed with water and oil and cooked in the microwave.  But the beans?  The beans needed something more.

I made these as a kind of experiment.  That means, that I came up with the “recipe” on the fly while I was grocery shopping.  I love the creaminess of refried beans, but I also like a little texture from whole beans.  I decided to use a big can of refried beans and combine it with chili beans and a few spices to kick things up a little.  I also wanted to add a little meat.  And what goes better with beans than bacon?  Not much!

The result was fantastic!  The kids loved them and Michael ate the beans until they were completely gone.  He was going out of town, so I knew I wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of the beans later!

Bacon Beans

• 1 pound of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 31-ounce can of refried beans
• 2 15.5-ounce cans of chili beans
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.  Use a big spoon to remove all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease, but leave the bacon in the pan.  Add the refried beans and the chili beans to the pot and stir until creamy.  Add the seasonings.  Warm through. Top with cheese before serving.

Well Duh #1:  I cooked everything in a big boiler or saucepan.

Well Duh #2:  Don’t drain the chili beans.

Well Duh #3:  You can add whatever other seasonings you like.  You can even add chopped jalapenos.  We like them a little milder, so I didn’t do that this time.

My tribe actually said that they preferred these beans to any that they have had at a restaurant!  I mean, who’s going to say otherwise when there’s bacon involved?  Creamy, rich, flavorful, and full of bacon.  Yep.  That’s a winner at our house!

I don’t think you can truly classify these as refried beans.  If I had to name them, I’d just call them Bacon Beans.