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I used extra liquid bc I cooked the noodles in the soup. I used 4c red sodium chicken broth, and added 3c red sodium beef broth (instead of water) to avoid the saltiness some mentioned. I also added 3/4c Half & Half near the end of simmering time (after the noodles were cooked). I added additional herbs to bump up the flavor: ~1/2 tsp ea dried Oregano, Parsley and Italian seasoning. I did not add any salt to the recipe.

This isn't "Shepherd's pie," I'm sorry to say.Although the US has "Americanized" this dish, there are several things which don't make this recipe come close.#1: Shepherd's pie isn't made in a pie crust. It's unnecessary, makes no difference in the final dish (not even detectable and adds no flavor); plus, it's soggy from the start, not to mention when eating leftovers.#2: the dish doesn't typically include green peppers 😬#3: the original recipe has a ground beef/lamb mixed with a flavorful gravy as the base. There is no gravy in this version.#4: This recipe lacks overall flavor.Thankfully, I didn't waste $ on ingredients for this bc I could've seen it wouldn't meet my preferences & expectations. Someone else in the house made it, and followed the recipe. He apparently likes it, which explains why tastes vary, considerably.For anyone reading this review, I'd rec eliminating peppers of any kind, adding minced garlic, couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings to your meat mixture, sauteed mushrooms (either in a layer on top of the meat or mixed into it) and mix in a homemade (preferably) beef gravy, or canned cream of mushroom soup (1 can per lb of meat). Top this with mashed potatoes and plenty of cheese (freshly shredded/grated sharp cheddar & some parmesan make a nice combo). Then, Bake til bubbly on the sides & golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Good base recipe. I read reviews b4 I made it & made the following adjustments:I only had preminced garlic, so used that to my preferred taste (~1.5-2tsp = 3-4 cloves).Added thinly sliced carrots, lightly steamed broccoli florets & the white parts of the sliced green onion during the simmering process (but might wait til the end bc I like them raw). I added the sesame oil near the end of cooking to preserve the flavor.NOTE ABOUT BROWN SUGAR: Idk the flavor prof of people who reduced the sugar to 1 Tbsp (they may not be very good cooks), but if u do, prepare for it to be incredibly SALTY! I had to add honey after it was cooked to tame the saltiness.Next time I make it, I'll add at least 3 Tbsp of brown sugar & more red pepper flakes (or Sriracha/Sambal Oelek) bc I didnt notice any heat or kick to it.Make sure u taste it after it's been simmering for a few minutes to ensure u like the flavor profile, that way u have time to adjust b4 it's finished. I served it over Basmati rice I made yesterday. Bc this recipe is customizable & easy, I'll def save it to make again.

I didn't make any changes except to add more seasoning b/c what's listed didn't seem like enough. This was OK, and I expected something a bit more flavorful (for my taste) than the end result. It wasn't hard to make, but with all the steps and dirty bowls/pans, the final dish wasn't worth it to me. Thanks, anyway, for posting the recipe.

While this isn't a complicated recipe, I do think it requires a fair bit of prep work to get it done... But what lasagna doesn't? IMHO, this recipe would be bland without the changes I made, per the recommendations of other reviews. Here's what I did, and I will add even more seasoning next time. 1 jar pasta sauce & 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes w/ green chiles (with juice), and I did NOT add water bc I soaked my noodles while I prepped everything else. I added the following to the sauce: a hefty tsp of crushed red pepper, 1/2 small onion diced small, and a tsp of prepared minced garlic (I will use more garlic next time or maybe some garlic powder). In the cheese mixture, I used 16oz ricotta, the rec amt of mozzarella (I used a 6 cheese Italian blend & mozzarella), eggs & parmesan, and added a big pinch of dried basil, oregano, and some fresh parsley (minced) bc I had it already. Next time, I will use more of each seasoning in the cheese. I seasoned the cheese mixture with some kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper. Note: I think using half sausage would work nicely here to add a flavor boost (as others have done, but I didn't do this time). I baked mine at 375 for 45 min, then uncovered and baked 15 min more. I let it rest for a good 10-15 min before cutting, and it was the perfect consistency (not runny and the noodles were cooked). For my taste, next time it will be a 5 star with the additions I mentioned and some sausage.h

Iit is moist and relatively light; however, the portion size is not realistic, at all. You can't feed 10 people with 1 lb of ground beef unless you are making a party dish. That said, I did not add the cheese and I am sure this would be 5 stars with that included. I don't, however, prefer to make food loaded with unnecessary fat and calories. So, I try to make minor adjustments when I can. Next time, I may try adding some freshly grated parmesan cheese instead, and reducing the salt to make up for the saltier parmesan (and bc a little parmesan cheese goes a long way for flavor). Unless the cheese adds that much flavor, I wondered if these would be bland without adding some seasoning or onions. Therefore, I took the advice of others and sauteed some onion, added some Italian seasoning, fresh cracked black pepper, and added a few dashes of worcestershire sauce. Also, I used regular, old fashioned oatmeal and let it soak in the milk for an hour, and did not taste the oatmeal whatsoever. I doubled the meat (used 1/2 chuck and 1/2 sirloin), 1 cup skim milk, and only 1 egg bc some said it was too wet. I thought mine was the perfect consistency with my changes. I formed it into 6 mini loaves and baked on a sheet pan. For the topping, I reduced the quantities a bit based on some comments, but I think it is personal preference of how sweet or savory you like it. I used 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, and about 1- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard ins