Beans (legumes) are a big no-no on the Paleo Diet because of their dietary lectins. On top of that, most humans suck at digesting them and while people eat them thinking they are getting protein, in reality they just end up getting gas. Refried beans have never been something that I’ve craved solo, yet I highly enjoy them in many  traditional Mexican dishes.

The other day I posted a picture of some delicata squashes in the spirt of the newfound fall season, and one of my readers suggested that they would work as a refried bean replacement. Of course that made me do some googling, which led me to this post from Living Nutrition. Since finding this recipe concept, I have made two versions of paleo refried beans and have settled on a version that is close enough for me to consider a total winner. On their own they might fool your mouth, yet in a taco or burrito, you will probably be very happy!

What you need:

• 2 medium delicata squashes, peeled, seeded, and diced.
• 1 cup of sun dried tomatoes.
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste.
• 1 cup of water.
• 2 tsp of cumin.
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper.
• 1 tsp of chili powder.
• 1 tsp of garlic powder.
• sea salt and black pepper to taste.

How you make it (crock pot):

1. soak your sun dried tomatoes in your water for at least an hour.
2. Add your squash, tomato paste, sun dried tomatoes and soaking water to your crock pot / slow cooker.
3. Add all spices and stir.
4. Cook on low for 3 hours max.
5. Blend with an immersion blender, standard blender, or mash with a potato masher.
6. Do not puree finely, you want a thicker consistency.
7. If mixture is not as thick as you would like, transfer to a sauce pan. Heat on your stovetop on medium heat and reduce until desired consistency is achieved.
8. Optional: add left over bacon grease for added flavor.

How you make it (stove top):

1. soak your sun dried tomatoes in your water for at least an hour.
2. Steam your delicata squash in a steamer basket for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
3. Remove your sun dried tomatoes from their soaking liquid, reserving half the liquid.
4. Star off your pot or pan with 2 pieces of cubed bacon and brown lightly (this step is optional).
5. Add your steamed squash, tomato paste, drained sun dried tomatoes, and soaking liquid to a sauce pan / pot.
6. Set pot/pan to medium heat, add all spices and stir.
7. Cook until visible liquids have evaporated.
8. Use an immersion blender or standard blender to blend until desired consistency is achieved.
9. Enjoy!