Funny thing, I would really consider this bean dip one of my favorite foods (although I do have a lot of favorite foods =). When I lived in Arizona I often went to two amazing Mexican restaurants that served warm refried bean dip alongside their fresh salsa, it was incredible to say the least! Unfortunately, I no longer live there so I had to figure out how to make it on my own.
This is the perfect party snack for the upcoming Super Bowl. Make this and no one is going to care who wins =). When I make this I often serve it along with fresh salsa, fresh guacamole and sour cream. They all accompany each other perfectly. This bean dip is SO easy to prepare, yes it takes a bit of time to cook but the actually prep time is about 5 minutes. I also use this same recipe to make refried beans, just decrease the reserved water added to the blender to 1 1/4 cups for non dip, slightly thicker beans. I love refried beans served alongside Shredded Beef Tacos and Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce.
This bean dip can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week, and reheated on the stovetop on in the microwave (I usually add a bit of water when I reheat it because they seem to thicken a bit once refrigerated). I even use this recipe to make my own frozen bean and cheese burritos, again decreasing the water added slightly then adding additional cheese.
Yields about 5 cups
Ingredients:
1 lb dry pinto beans
2 quarts (8 cups) water
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp lard (or 2 additional Tbsp butter)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (plus more if desired)
1/2 cup shredded Monterray Jack Cheese (or an additional 1/2 cup Cheddar)
Directions:
Soak beans in a bowl or pot overnight in 2 quarts cold water (I just soak them in the slow cooker pot so I don't have to clean two pots).
Drain and rinse beans after soaking. Place beans in a slow cooker, cover with 2 quarts hot water. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 1/2 hours or low for 9 hours (my slow cooker lids fits snugly but if yours doesn't just keep an eye on the water level to make sure they stay covered).
Once cooked (they should be fully tender when pierced with a fork), laddle out 1 3/4 cups of the water and reserve. Strain remaining water by pouring beans into a colander. Place beans, reserved 1 3/4 cups water (if you want thicker beans start with 1 cup then work your way up from there, I just found 1 3/4 cups was a good consistency for bean dip), butter, lard, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and pepper in a blender. Cover blender with lid and blend on low speed for about 1 minute or until well blended. Pour mixture into a large bowl, stir in shredded cheeses. Serve warm with tortilla chips.
Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.
