Please allow me to put a big caveat in front of this review. I really wanted to try this recipe as-is, but because of the pumpkin crop issues this year I was unable to find canned pumpkin in my local grocery stores. SO, I made a significant change: I bought two butternut squashes and split them, basted them with olive oil, and baked them face up in an inch of water with foil over the top for an hour. I then pureed the majority of the ingredients in the blender before placing them in the pot. I really liked the additions of blue cheese, bacon, and hot sauce, and also drizzled some scotch in to add to the recipe's deep flavor. The richness of the flavor is very nice, and I look forward to trying it with pumpkin when supplies are again available!

Five with some easy adjustments (most cooks adjust every recipe they see!): I had a hankering for fall foods and made this chili this afternoon. I took the advice of some of the other reviewers and doubled up on the tomatoes, added beans (I did kidney), and didn't skimp on seasonings such as garlic, cumin, cilantro, and chili seasoning. I also added ~1.5 Tbl honey. I used turkey sausage, rather than plain ground turkey. For the pumpkin puree, I cooked a whole golden nuggest squash (looks like a small pumpkin) in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes. I then cut it open into chunks and scooped out 1/2 of the meat of the squash and pureed with a cup of chicken broth. I let the whole mixture cook on low on the stove for the afternoon (great aroma), and served topped with shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and buttered sourdough bread on the side. Next time, I'll add more beans and 1/2 lb to 1 lb more turkey. Hubby said it was "terrific", "awesome", and "really good". The kids were leary of the big chunks of tomato (you could puree if yours are picky) and the idea that I put "pumpkin" in it, but both filled their bellies with the chunks of turkey and everything that stuck to it.

I needed to use up pepperoni so I gave this a shot for Sunday lunch. I omitted the seasoning and the green pepper, and the flavor was surprisingly good. We really liked how flavorful the tomatoes turned out. The kids (7&5) even ate the veggies!

I followed the recipe and squelched my usual tendency to modify a recipe, so I could get a good sense of this recipe as-is. The only variation was to use a slow-cooker. The result was good, but unexceptional. I will probably keep looking for a better recipe, but if you'd like to try this one I'd recommend using italian sausage rather than ground beef.

This was a hit the first night and "even better" the next day. The seasoning level was subdued, but right for a salad with cucumbers in it (want to taste the salad and not just the seasoning). This will be added to our regular family rotation - for each of the four families gathered for our Labor Day festivities!

Fantastic recipe and a definite keeper. My kids gobbled it up and my hubby, who is not a soup fan, decided he wanted seconds. My modifications: I broiled the bacon while I was starting the onions and butter. I added precooked cut chicken breast meat when I added the broth. I used the bacon grease to saute mushrooms I added near the end. I omitted the 4 cups milk as my pan was getting too full and substituted a can of condensed milk for the heavy cream.

Wow, I'm disappointed. Given the reviews and most of the ingredients I thought this would be a slam-dunk kid-friendly weekday dinner. My 5-year-old son, who inhales any meat, starch, & cheese combo took one bite and refused to eat anything more. I understood as soon as I tried my first bite. Something was very strange and unpleasant about the flavor. We threw it all out and are thinking Chef Boyardee is a significant improvement tonight! :(

This was excellent - restaurant quality. It was very rich (butter and mayo), and I made several unanticipated modifications that really made this depart from the original (but still fabulous). Once I committed myself to the recipe I realized 1) I didn't have Parmesan, and 2) I had some imitation crab I needed to use up. So I got creative - I whipped up a mayo/butter/seasoning mixture based on the recipe (favored toward Cajun/Old Bay Seasoning, plus pepper, garlic, and celery seed) and mixed it in with the imitation crab. I then layered sliced Havarti over the crab mixture over the tilapia, and convection baked. I served with roasted cubed baby reds flavored with olive oil, rosemary and dill, and sprinkled with bleu cheese crumbles; plus a side of broccoli. What a fantastic meal! I look forward to making this recipe as set forth (plus the bread crumbs - that will make a welcome addition to the texture), but it was a great foundation to modify when I realized I didn't have everything!

Great recipe: very tasty sauce. I took the suggestions of other reviewers and modified this recipe. I cut the water in half and cut the cheese down to 1/2 lb. I added 1 cup of sour cream and added worcestershire, garlic powder, and onion powder. I also added two cans green beans. I used rotini instead of egg noodles. Easy and very tasty. My kids (4 & 2) gobbled it up.

The meat just falls off of the bones! My family loves it when I make this. It is easy and very very tasty.

The cucumbers swam in dressing. I'd definitely cut the dressing down to half, or even a third of the recipe amount if I were to make this again.

Very tasty. I followed the advice of others and laid off the wine a bit - did 2 cups. Would actually lay off it a bit more, perhaps 1.5 cups, with 1 cup chicken broth. I served over cavatini and my family gobbled it up.

This was an excellent summer salad. Adults and kids both gobbled down second servings of this. Makes enough servings for a family to enjoy for several days or to bring to a potluck.

I'm giving this 5 stars because my two four year-olds and two year-old devoured this, and my pickiest four year-old, who never finishes anything and NEVER asks for seconds, finished her first helping and asked for seconds. I used penne pasta. I didn't have mushrooms or green onions, so I used broccoli, zucchini, and yellow onion. I also used a pre-bagged seafood mix to cut down on prep time. I also added a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese. I was a bit concerned at the amount of liquid 2 cups of white wine, a cube of butter, and 6 Tbls of lemon made, but it came out fabulous. This was kid-friendly and could just as easily have been served to company!

Was very tasty and healthy (aside from the bratwurst, of course).

Great flavor. Needs less rice or more broth.

Great start. Double the apple pie filling and mix with cream cheese and this is a very yummy dessert.

What an excellent meal we made with this! We marinated 2lbs of shrimp in 1/2 cup tequila, 1/2 cup beer, some cilantro, garlic, and lime juice for about a 1/2 hour before sautéing with a tbsp of butter and some chopped onions. We served with black beans, pepper jack cheese, chopped tomatoes and avocados in whole wheat tortillas. You really can't make a more healthy or delicious meal!

I did this stovetop with turkey italian sausage. Was hearty and had good flavor. Tempted to try it with a red wine next time.

This was a hit at the party we took it to last night! I sliced boneless chicken for 2/3 of the batch, leaving 1/3 of the batch as wings to appease the traditionalists. Next time I will incorporate garlic powder into the flour mixture, as well as more spice. I will never bake chicken wings again!