Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed
• 6 cups water
• ½ onion, peeled
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons Lawry’s seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Dash of liquid smoke (optional)

Instructions:

1. Rinse pinto beans and place them in the Crock-Pot with the water, onion half, garlic powder, seasoned salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and liquid smoke. Cook on high for eight hours.
2. After eight hours, discard the onion and drain most of the excess water but do reserve some. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to achieve the desired consistency. Add back the reserved liquid when blending as needed. (The author of this recipe used an immersion blender to make the beans smooth and on the thinner side.) Remember that the beans will thicken up a bit as they cool.
3. Taste the beans for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper according to your preferences.

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