Description

Smoked Shotgun Shells are a delicious and hearty dish featuring manicotti shells stuffed with a flavorful blend of ground beef, hot Italian sausage, cheeses, and spices, all wrapped in crispy bacon and smoked to perfection. This recipe delivers a smoky, savory explosion of flavors that’s perfect for gatherings or game day snacks.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) boxes manicotti shells
1½ pounds ground beef
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 ounces cream cheese
1 jalapeno, finely diced
2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅓ cup barbecue sauce
2 (16 ounce) packages bacon (may need more)
Additional barbecue sauce for coating

Instructions

Preheat the smoker: Set your smoker to 250°F to prepare for cooking the shotgun shells evenly with a rich smoky flavor.
Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ground beef, hot Italian sausage, finely diced onion, sharp cheddar cheese, cream cheese, jalapeno, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and ⅓ cup barbecue sauce. Note that the meat and sausage are used raw to cook inside the shells during smoking.
Stuff the manicotti shells: Carefully and gently fill each uncooked manicotti shell from both ends with the meat mixture, ensuring no air pockets remain inside for even cooking.
Wrap with bacon: Wrap slices of bacon around each stuffed shell, covering the ends as well. Depending on size, you might need two pieces of bacon per shell to secure the filling properly.
Apply barbecue sauce: Brush additional barbecue sauce generously over all sides of the bacon-wrapped shells. Place them on a baking sheet while preparing to arrange them in the smoker.
Smoke the shells: Place the shells in the smoker and cook for 60 minutes. After the first hour, flip each shell over, brush more barbecue sauce on them, and continue smoking for another 60 minutes until the bacon is crispy and the filling is fully cooked.
Serve and enjoy: Remove the smoked shotgun shells from the smoker and serve hot for a flavorful, smoky, and satisfying dish.

Notes

Ensure no air pockets remain inside the shells for even cooking and safety.
Wrapping bacon tightly and covering ends helps keep the filling contained during smoking.
Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature reaches at least 160°F for safe consumption.
You can adjust the spice level by modifying the amount of jalapeno and red pepper flakes.
Leftover shells keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat well on a grill or in the oven.
If you do not have a smoker, you can bake these at 350°F for about 1.5 to 2 hours, but the smoky flavor will be reduced.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Category: Appetizer
Method: Smoking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Smoked Shotgun Shells, manicotti, bacon wrapped, smoked appetizer, barbecue, game day recipe, smoky beef sausage shells