I've recently had a request from my husband to make a Lancashire hotpot from scratch, the ultimate comfort food of his youth. I'm not a huge fan of cooking with kidneys in general, and was wondering whether or not those of you who have made Lancashire hotpot feel that the kidneys are absolutely necessary. Also, all the recipes I'm finding call only for onions, but I'd like to add in more vegetables -- leeks, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Has anyone else had success in this area?