Originally Posted by
braslvr
By far the most important thing is to make your own refried beans. Super easy in the crock pot. Soak pinto beans overnight then into the crockpot, keep covered with 1/2 inch of water, 6-8 hrs on high, mash with potato masher, add a little leftover bacon grease you keep in the freezer, and salt to taste. If they are too soupy, take the lid off and cook some more, stirring once in a while. Canned refried beans are god-awful.
I haven't used the packaged taco seasoning for anything in ~30 years. You probably have all the ingredients individually. Chili powder, salt, garlic powder. onion powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, etc. Make your own and customize to your liking.
And, maybe try a different salsa..
Except "refried bean" are by definition "refried". First you cook them as described, mash them up, and then fry them in a pan, ideally with lard, but bacon fat will certainly get the job done. The crockpot method skips the frying part, which for me, is the best bit.