My mom keeps newspaper clippings and index cards in her recipe box, and rifling through it resembles watching an old photo album. There are lots of 'Do you remember that?' and 'I have not met X for ages!'

I had even noticed generic boxes of Velveeta at the grocery store the other day which made me ask her to get it down for me. I can't honestly say that I thought about Velveeta recently but adding it was what made one of my family's favorite meals – cooked ground beef, canned beans, Ro-Tel tomatoes. The Velveeta went in at the end and it all melted into sort of a brownish mess called creamed tacos.

We ate it in bowls accompanied by tortilla chips and shredded lettuce; it was nowhere close to deconstructed tacos as it was more of cheesy chili. Years I used to think it was called "cream tacos." But the name doesn't matter at all. It's just good.

A True Texas Recipe, Kind Of

It is a mother's recipe that I related to creamed tacos but actually, it was inspired by Janey Hays my parents knew her in the late 1960s. One day, as newlyweds, mom and dad journeyed from Ohio to the Air Force base in Laredo, TX For dad and a host of other arrogant young men, it was pilot training. People married in this country and others lived on the base in simple concrete structures; many of the residents became good friends. They organised very noisy sessions where they served lots of food, beer among other beverages.

They were one of many couples stationed there and while the Hayses thought they knew everything they needed to about each other's relationship, they never really knew what was going on at the base between couples. Janey (or, as I later came to discover was her name, Mrs. Hays) was from Texas. All of the wives shared recipes with each other, and this turned out to be a most exciting period of cookery experience for many of the wives. I think mom had resided in Ohio her entire life and dishes such as Tex-Mex enchiladas and a Southern tomato pie were unfamiliar to her. Instead, she presented her friends to their first cabbage rolls ever.

Some of those people never ever talked to me again after I completed pilot training but my parents by some twist of fate got to know the whereabouts of those couple of families. His company transferred him to Marietta in the 1980s but he and his company were obviously unaware that we lived there. They were looking at homes in my family's street as we kids and I were playing television tag in our lawn one summer evening. One day, a strange man came over, and literally, I saw him staring at our mailbox with stick-on letters = BIR. "Sorry miss can I ask if your father IS Jim Bir?" Who can blame him? I think I would have probably blanked on him, because it is not a very popular name, but I am almost certain I have heard it before. He took a piece of paper and scribbled something, and said I should give it to my parents and take any calls for him.

The Hayses had a daughter my age and our families would spend some time together Socializing my mom and Mrs. Hays resumed swapping recipe. It was with this thought in mind that creamed tacos came into our lives. When years elapsed, Hayses relocated and as always, people lost touch with the family. Mrs. I remember you often Hays, whenever I am passing by the house you used to live in.

A Filling, Super Easy Meal

What was this Mrs. Hays doing preparing creamed tacos in the first place I do not know, but growing up me and my two brothers creamed tacos on a school night meant that there is party at home later. For my working mom probably too because creamed tacos are ready from zero to table surface within about 15minutes.

Mom hasn't made creamed tacos in years, in part because they are presumably dreadful for you. One day after mom found the recipe I prepared it for my daughter and her dad and recalled what the fuss was all about. It's like your own small bowls of chili con queso for dinner. Who can say no to that?

Jose's Creamed Tacos: Telling the Story of How My Mom Modernized Creamed Tacos

Mom altered the ingredients to prepare according to Mrs. Hays' recipe slightly. First of all, it calls for either a can or a brick of chili. Anyways, mom excluded the chili since she doesn't think that we need it in the recipe since it's already quite starchy. I say you could even leave out the ground beef altogether and use extra beans for vegetarian dinner or even substitute the plant-based grounds.

Mrs. Hays also requires one pint of half and half. Creamed tacos are quite rich and still a dietitian's disaster before you pour half and half over it. But really what mom did was that instead of taking an easiest recipe she make it even easier than that by removing it from the refrigerator.

As for this, it is indeed a perfect meal that young children and growing chefs could do on their own. That must have been the case when I was about 10 or 12 years old making the first one, although I do not remember ensuring I cleared the mess.

How To Make Creamed Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cans chili beans (15.5 ounce size each; do not drain)
• 1 (10-14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chili
• 1 pound processed cheese, for instance, Velveeta
• 1 to 2 tsp chili powder, optional
• Tortilla chips, for serving
• Shredded lettuce, for serving
• Diced tomatoes, for serving

Instructions:

1. Place the ground beef in a large pot for example a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven as shown. Place this over medium heat; then fry the ground beef until pink is no longer present and it is crumbled up. This'll take 5 to 8 minutes. Skim most, but not all, of the fat and then pour it down the sink.
2. While the meat is being cooked, it browns and you can set this time aside to do the lettuce and fresh tomato preparation.
3. Put in the beans, canned tomatoes and any other ingredient required. Stir and let it boil gently and achieve a hot and thin consistency at the same time.
4. On the other hand, the cheese should be cubed in large pieces. When the pot starts to simmer add the cheese. Lower the heat and keep stirring until the cheese has melted completely—it doesn't take long.
5. Take a sip and if you believe it needs more of that fire, you can add 1 or 2 teaspoon of chili powder. (Beware of these one- because they are very salty, and, yes, the chili powder contains salt too.)
6. It's typically the case with creamed tacos as we always serve them very thick and you can tell that it really lays heavily on your stomach. But if yours is thicker than you would like it to be, you can dilute it by adding a little amount of water or milk.
7. Spoon the creamed tacos onto bowls and garnish with the tortilla chips, shredded lettuce and fresh diced tomatoes.

If you have any remaining food on the dish then store it in a refrigerator for 4 days at most. As for freezing, I have never done it with creamed tacos but am sure it should be quite all right.