How to make restaurant style refried beans

I don't really like canned refried beans. I'd rather make them at home, where I have control over what goes in them. This is pretty easy to do, but it is rather time consuming. See, now you can't say I didn't warn you.

You will need:
3 cups of dried pinto beans
1 onion

For hardware, you will need a large bowl, a crock pot, and a blender.

First, place the beans in a large bowl and cover with about 2 inches of water. Let them sit overnight to soak, about 8-10 hours.

In the morning, drain the water off the beans and rinse. Put the beans in a crock pot with your onion (that has been roughly chopped).  Cover the beans with another 2 inches of water. Set the crock pot to low and let the beans cook for about 10 hours.

When you get home, check the beans. Do they feel somewhat soft? Some firmness is okay, but they shouldnt feel hard. If you put a bean between your fingers it should squish a little when you squeeze it.

blend those beans!

When you are ready to make refried beans, drain off *some* of the water, leaving just enough for the beans to be sitting in, but not enough to cover them in the crock pot. Let the beans cool before blending them in you blender, or you will have molten bean paste burns all over your body. And that's not sexy.

you want a somewhat chunky consistency,

Blend them up, put them in a skillet to reheat when you are ready to use. Otherwise, store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze in a zip top bag for up to 4 months.

I serve mine with cheese on top, or in a burrito, or you can top the beans with sour cream and salsa for a bean layer dip, or you can mix in jalepeno and black olive for a party dip.