Add meat to kasha? If yes, what worked ew

I've eaten it with both ground beef and lamb, and both were delicious. I actually added finely chopped leftover lamb from a roast once upon a time- just wanting to avoid wasting it, really, and it was wonderful. My sons are reluctant vegetarians for the most part, so I use a little ground beef or lamb and finely chopped mushrooms to make the one pot meal. Last winter I made it using Emma's recipe here, and added in 1/2 pound of ground lamb that I browned in the skillet when the onions were pretty near done. I also added in a goodly pinch of Herbs of Province, because I did not have fresh chives, and lamb likes that spice mix I think. I didn't think it needed a sauce of any sort, beyond the pasta water to help make it creamier. We had it with a grated beet and carrot salad on the side, in the French bistro style.

Question meant to read: what worked well?