Taco Salad with Homemade New Mexico Queso

Recipe From: Cathleen Burns and Caitie Bump  **Pinky's Special**
Salad- Cut up lettuce and pile on pinto beans, smashed chips, ground beef and queso!
Pinto beans- Wash beans.  Place half the bag in a crock pot filled with water.  Add garlic salt for seasoning.  Cook for 3 hours on high or until no longer hard.
Ground beef- cook beef, add taco seasoning and continue cooking per directions on back of taco seasoning package (I use Taco Bell seasoning)
Queso- **Pinky's Special** On medium heat in a Teflon pan, melt 1 stick of butter (1/2 C) and add 1/2 onion finely chopped.  Add 1C whipping cream and one 1lbs package of Velveeta Cheese (cut up in small squares).  Add several small cans of chopped green chile (depending on how spicy you want the queso.  I use 2 cans for medium spiciness. You can also use frozen Bueno Chile or a jar of THICK green chile salsa). Cook until thick (about 15 minutes).  Make sure you stir queso often so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating:
The Pink Chef- 10
Hubby Rating- 10
Presentation- 8
Dishes- 5
Left overs- 4
Changes I made while cooking:  I used cabbage and lettuce for the salad
Thoughts while cooking:  "MMM this queso reminds me of Mom!"
Impressions while eating:  "This queso really makes this dish!"
Changes you can make:  You can use cut up taco shells or Frito's (something we called Plato Loco in New Mexico when I was growing up).  You can use ground turkey instead of beef for less calories or you can add sour cream for more calories =)  I would not use cabbage again.
Ingredients to use later in the week: 1/2 onion, whipping cream, pinto beans, lettuce, chips

Since this dish is pretty healthy you can make this salad nice and big!
Add lot's of lettuce and beans and just enough queso for taste....unless
you want to slather on the queso and make it taste even better ;-)