1.  Sort and wash 2 lbs. of pinto beans, add to a 4 qt. crockpot and fill with water.  Cook overnight on low.  Check beans for doneness in the morning.  ( beans should smash easily between your fingers or you can taste them )  Continue cooking on high if they are not soft enough. You will need 6 cups of beans for this recipe and you will have 8 cups to freeze for the next meal.  If you have a smaller crockpot cook only 1 lb. at a time.

2.  In large skillet saute onion and garlic until transparent:
 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
 1 large onion, chopped
 3-6 cloves of garlic to taste

3.  Mash drained beans with a potato masher or run through a food processor adding cooking water as needed to reach desired consistency:
 6 cups of cooked pinto beans
 cooking water if needed

4.  Add mashed beans to sauteed onion along with:
 3 t. ground cumin
 3 t. chili powder (more or less to taste)*
 1 t. dried oregano
 1 t. onion powder
 1 t. garlic powder
 1 1/2 t. salt to taste

5.  Blend beans and spices well and heat thoroughly over low heat stirring occasionally.

6.  Use refried beans in taco shells, burrito or tortilla wrappers or plain with sour cream (or substitute), salsa, brown rice and a green salad.

* My children do not care for extra spicy dishes so my husband uses medium or hot salsa and/or adds red pepper at the table.

Using the crockpot to cook beans overnight is a real timesaver and works with most types of beans.  Soybeans are the only ones I can think of that this might not work for.  Beans can be cooked ahead, cooled, covered with bean liquid (the water they were cooked in) and frozen in recipe size amounts until ready to use.