Sparkfun (e.g.) sells little breakout boards with FTDI USB-Serial chips on them (DEV-09873, e.g.) which provide pretty much what you're describing. They aren't particularly cheap (mainly because FTDI's chips aren't very cheap), but they come Already Built with all the support circuitry. They can even (within limits) power your board. There may be cheaper alternatives, so shop around. In a pinch, you can use a spare Launchpad and tap into the J101 (USB-side) pins.
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