Creamy Hippy Beef & Rice Casserole

It may not look like much, but it's very tasty!

This was one of our all-time family favorites growing up. My mom made it on repeat and lovingly nicknamed it “Alpo” because…well, it kind of looks like dog food. 😆

I took her classic recipe and gave it the Hippy Crap treatment — swapping in grass-fed lean beef, extra veggies, more seasonings, olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and cottage cheese in place of canned soup for a creamier, lighter, higher-protein version that tastes amazing.

The result? A cozy one-dish casserole that’s still nostalgic but is better for you. It’s perfect for busy weeknights, makes great leftovers, and your family will love it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb lean ground beef (93%+), preferably grassfed

• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), as needed

• 1 green, red or yellow pepper, chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 container of mushrooms, chopped

• 2 tbsp Hippy All-Purpose Seasoning

• 10 oz 2% low-fat cottage cheese

• ¼ cup beef bone broth

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup OR cream of chicken soup

• 1 cup brown or wild rice (or rice of choice)

• 3 cups rice Krispies

• Optional topping: Shredded cheddar cheese

Once out of the oven, bubbly and ready to serve!

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish with EVOO.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the ground beef, breaking it up as it browns.

3. When the beef is about halfway cooked, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook everything together until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of Hippy All-Purpose Seasoning and stir well.

4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the cottage cheese and stir until it melts down into a creamy sauce.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soup, beef mixture, uncooked rice, bone broth, Rice Krispies, and remaining 1 tbsp Hippy All-Purpose Seasoning. Mix thoroughly (you’ll hear the Krispies start to pop!).

6. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and spread evenly. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden around the edges.

7. Remove from the oven. If desired, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese while it’s still hot and let it melt.

Tip: This casserole freezes beautifully. Easily double the recipe to make two and freeze one (unbaked) for an easy future meal.

Tip 2: You can swap out ground turkey or chicken if you prefer, but we think it's best with ground beef.