My version had a sort of Italian/Mexican fusion since I was working with things I had on hand, but it turned out quite tasty. Instead of the tomatoes it called for, I used a 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chilis. I thickened the sauce with some corn starch and added a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and cayenne pepper. I ended up using probably more like 10-12 oz. of the seashell pasta and used sharp cheddar instead of mozzarella. Sounded weird, but I tasted it along the way and was pleased with the result. Perhaps I'll try it as written if I happen to have the correct ingredients as I'm sure it's good either way.

Reviewed On: Nov. 24, 2011

Delicious and super easy! After browning the meat, I made this in the slow cooker set to low and ate it about 8 hours later. I prefer to make soups in the slow cooker to really enhance the flavors, not to mention that it adds to the ease of this recipe. I used black beans instead of pinto beans. I omitted the stewed tomatoes and added a little more than twice the amount of water called for as it seemed a little too thick (I just filled the chili bean can twice with water). Came out perfect. My husband normally puts hot sauce on everything, but didn't even bother with this. It has quite a kick to it, but I think it was a good amount of spiciness. If you aren't big on spicy foods, I would leave out the can of green chilies, but we loved it. I topped it with shredded sharp cheddar and some crushed Cool Ranch Doritos and it was incredible. Definitely will be making this one again - and soon! =]

Reviewed On: Feb. 4, 2011

This is fantastic! I followed the ingredients exactly except that I didn't add any salt (there is already a whole lot of soy sauce) and I sprinkled in some red pepper flakes. I boiled the sauce along with some corn starch, then simmered it for about 10 minutes. I poured the sauce over the chicken (I used 3.5 lbs boneless skinless breasts) and baked it for about 40 minutes, taking it out about every 10 minutes to flip and baste it. I had also pierced the chicken several times so the flavor would soak through a little bit. The sauce didn't caramelize - in fact it stayed a little thin even with the corn starch - but the flavor was so delicious it didn't matter what consistency it was. My husband and I both loved it. I will definitely make this again.

Reviewed On: Mar. 6, 2010