This week Serious Recipes will be saluting the foods that make our lives a little easier, even though we don’t always care to admit it. Food snobs, stand back: it’s processed food week!

Cream tacos—also known as crock pot tacos or creamy tacos—are very similar to a lot of anglicized, Velveeta-lovin’ chili con queso recipes out there. Call it chili con guero. I tinkered with the ratio of cheese to other ingredients so it’s more of a taco stew and less of a nacho dip...plus I replaced the recipe's traditional half-and-half with milk, since adding half-and-half to Velveeta is a most pointless gilding of the artificial lilly. The name "cream tacos" may sound gross, but everyone will gobble this satisfying lowbrow fare right up, I promise.

Recipe

1 16-ounce brick processed cheese, cubed (it’s fine to use an off-brand, and it’s fine to use reduced-fat)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 pound ground beef (see note)
1 16-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
About 1/2 cup milk or water
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
Corn tortilla chips for serving

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, brown the ground beef over medium heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When the meat is no longer pink, spoon off and discard the grease.

Add the cubed cheese, diced tomatoes and chilies, and pinto beans to the pot. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add the cumin and chili powder. If the mixture is too thick (it probably will be), stir in a little milk or water.

Serve in large bowls over crushed corn chips and top with shredded lettuce (and, if you really want to get crazy, garnish with sour cream and sliced black olives). Serves 4 to 6. *Note:* Substitute vegetarian grounds, such as a 12-ounce package of Lightlife Smart Grounds, for the ground beef and you can make this dish in about 5 minutes.