I have to agree it looks kind of unappetizing, and I really didn't like the smell of it. Everything changed once I took the first bite. It was surprising flavourful. A tad spicy, but I tolerated it. Goes well with a nice glass of milk to tone down the spicyness. I WILL make this again.

This recipe was made for me by a friend...and wow, was it ever a hit! I made it a few more times, and each time, people would ask for the recipe. It has really made its rounds through my circles. Thanks so much for an easy crowd pleaser!

This has a wonderful flavor. I did not find it spicy, in fact, I added extra chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon to give it a little more flavor. It would have been better if I had gotten all of the skin of. Some parts weren't peeled all the way and we didn't like the rough feeling. I baked the acorn squash 20 minutes and let it cool and it made it easier to peel. We will deiintely use this again, but I might use sweet potatoes so I don't have to deal with the squash!

This was a great recipe. I made a few minor adjustments but the spices were perfect once I decreased the chili powder. Here's what I did: I used buttercup squash instead of acorn and cooked it a bit in order to be able to peel it. I used kidney beans because I had no pinto beans and I used the bean cooking water instead of water. I also used canned tomatoes. I think that the recipe would be really good with a bit of stewing beef cut into small chunks but it really is great the way that it is.

Excellent! This recipe is wonderful, and it makes the house smell terrific. I made this with canned tomatos and canned beans. I think it would also be good with lentils. I did add about 1 tsp of sugar to cut the acid just a little. Also, I cooked the squash in the oven just long enough to soften before peeling. It was a lot less work. I added sweet italian sausage, but wouldn't do that again - it tasted better as a vegetarian dish.

sooo hot and spicy - i even reduced the spices by more than half - i think it needs even less spice - i just can't handle it - but other than that it's sooo yummy -- had i used all 2 tbsp of the chili pepper - i'd be crying right now.

This is really good and an interesting combination of ingredients. I have several acorn squash so was trying to find a good use for them. I used canned beans and tomatoes as well as ground cumin. I added water but it felt that it needed some more depth so I added a chicken bullion. It is now simmering away...I did smash some of the squash just to make it even more thick...the way I like it and I may even add some corn as others mentioned. I plan to serve it over brown rice. Thanks for this unique recipe!

This was really good! I made it as close to the original as I possibly could. I didn't think the chili powder was too much. Great flavor! I used canned diced tomatoes, canned beans, bottled lemon juice and ground cumin instead of seeds, which made it so easy. I finished it up in the crock-pot and served it to my church family. They loved it! To make peeling the squash a little easier: cut it in half, zap it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. After it cools, cut into lengthwise pieces and use the vegetable peeler. It will be a little softer.

Delicious. I left some skin on the acorn squash because I got a little impatient peeling it. While the cooking did soften the skin nicely, some parts are still a little crunchy. Next time I'll peel the entire thing for the sake of consistency. I'll also add chick peas for extra protein. The lemon is such a great touch. Spritz some to taste before eating or use a lemon wedge as garnish.

This was a great idea...and I have a cure for peeling the squash...don't! It tastes just as good with the peel on and it's that much easier. I made mine in the crock pot and it worked out great. Thanks for the recipe.

So delicious and different! Definately adding this the the repitoire. Didn't find it to be overly spicy. We added corn and chicken. Just fantastic.

Excellent. I tossed in some "panch phoron" an Indian five-spice mixture, with the onion while it sauteed, and threw in some celery and sweet potato, and even my toddler loved it.

This stew was pretty good. It was just simple comfort food. It was time consuming however to peel off all the skin off the squash so next time I might try to do that a different way. We followed the recipe except using black soy beans instead of pinto beans.

LOVED IT! I used canned beans and tomato's because my dad said peeling and seeding them is a hassle,(though after peeling an acorn squash I don't know if anything would have seemed like a hassle!)and it came out really well. I hope that it is supposed to have a lemony taste because that is what I ended up with. I wasn't expecting that out of all the stuff that's in it but it was a nice surprise. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

This soup was so yummy. I used leftover squash which cut down the cook time, and I added one more cup of water and a boullion cube for salt. My whole family enjoyed this, and it was a prefect fall soup that we will enjoy again.

Great combo of spices. I found it a little too hot, but that's just my taste. I added ground cumin instead of the toasted seeds, a peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber, and a red pepper as well. Very good, but next time I'll cut the chili by at least half.

We added zucchini to this for some extra green vegetables and it was delicious! We sauteed the onions in a pan and then put all the ingredients in our crock pot and a few hours later we had a delicious dinner. My husband and I will definately make this again!

This was really good! I was a bit skeptical of the ingredients but it was a fresh, healthy meal with a neat blend of sweet and spicy. I added both green and yellow squash for more vegetables and served over steamed white rice. Yum!