Meaty with a kick, these manicotti shells are stuffed with Italian sausage, ground beef, cheese, and hot peppers, then wrapped in bacon and smoked. Served with a few sauces on the side, they make a tasty and unique appetizer you and your guests will love.
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What makes smoked loaded shotgun shells the perfect meaty snack?
If you are looking for something a bit different but still simple to prepare in your smoker, look no further than this Smoked Shotgun Shells recipe.
What are Smoked Shotgun Shells you may be wondering? Don't worry, they're not dangerous, except maybe to your waistline. Smoked Shotgun Shells are manicotti pasta shells stuffed with well-seasoned meat, diced hot peppers, and cheese, then wrapped in bacon and coated with dry rub.
Smoked to perfection for about an hour over hickory wood, one bite, and you'll want to load up your plate with them.
Why you'll love this best Smoked Shotgun Shells recipe
You may have tried making Smoked Shotgun Shells before and wound up with almost inedible rubbery or dried-out pasta shells. Don't be put off trying this recipe. Check out below for the ultimate secret to ensuring you always have tender manicotti.
And once you master these delicious appetizers, they are so quick and easy that you'll look for any excuse to make them!
Smoked Shotgun Shells ingredients
For the best Smoked Shotgun Shells recipe, you'll need:
- Ground chuck
- Italian sausage
- White onion, small diced
- Garlic, minced
- Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Cream cheese
- Fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers, small diced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Manicotti shells
- Bacon
- Kinders Brown Sugar Rub
- Barbecue sauce
Ingredient notes and recipe variations
You can use hot or sweet Italian sausage in this recipe for Smoked Shotgun Shells, depending on how much heat you want. Bulk sausage meat will save you money since you will need to remove the sausage meat from the casing anyway.
Look for thin-cut bacon that was smoked using the same wood you plan to use to smoke the Shotgun Shells. Thick-cut bacon will not stretch and wrap around the pasta tubes as easily so stick with thin bacon.
You can swap the cheddar cheese with Gouda, Mozzarella cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese.
If you don't like or can't find Kinders Brown Sugar Rub, use another sweet dry rub.
Go with a sweet BBQ sauce for the best contrasting flavors.
How to make them
To prepare Shotgun Shells:
- Add the ground meat, Italian sausage meat, diced white onions, minced garlic, shredded sharp cheddar, diced hot peppers, and freshly ground black pepper to a large mixing bowl.
- Use gloved hands to combine well.
- Stuff the mixture into dry manicotti shells. Using a large disposable piping bag with a large tip makes the job much easier.
- After stuffing all the shells, wrap them with the slices of bacon. Be sure to cover the entire shell, or it can dry out in the smoker.
- Sprinkle the bacon-wrapped stuffed shells with the dry rub and place in a baking dish.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least four hours, but overnight is best. This is the secret to tender pasta shells, so don't rush this step.
To smoke Shotgun Shells:
- Preheat your smoker to 350°F.
- Remove the stuffed shells from the fridge and let them warm up a bit on the counter.
- For easier handling, lay them out on a wire rack and then place the entire rack on the grill grates in the preheated smoker.
- Smoke until the meat mixture inside the shells reaches 160°F.
- Brush the bacon with BBQ sauce and smoke for 10 more minutes.
- Serve whole or slice them on a bias with a couple of dipping sauces on the side.
What to serve them with
Smoked Shotgun Shells are best with a dipping sauce such as the barbecue sauce used to brush on them in the smoking process. But you can give your guests a few choices:
- Mexican Queso. Cheese lovers will want to whip up this white queso recipe for dipping. It pairs wonderfully with the smoked stuffed shells and tastes better than the queso you can find at most Mexican restaurants.
- Spicy Mac and Cheese - The spice in this mac and cheese offers a nice contrast in flavor.
- Green salad with a vinaigrette - A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette would provide a refreshing counterpart.
Serve them as an appetizer or main dish with your favorite BBQ sides.
How to store the leftovers
To keep any extra smoked loaded shotgun shells, allow them to cool. Then, put them into an airtight container. Store them in the fridge or freezer.
How long do they last?
Smoked Shotgun Shells will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge and up to a month in the freezer.
How to reheat them
To reheat thawed Shotgun Shells, brush them with BBQ sauce and cook covered for about 15 minutes or until the center reaches 165°F covered in a 350°F oven.
What type of wood should you use to smoke these?
An aggressive smoke flavor works well for this Smoked Shotgun Shells recipe. Hickory wood is an excellent option here.
More game day smoked appetizer recipes
Smoked Shotgun Shells
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeño or serrano peppers
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces manicotti shells
- 2 pounds thinly sliced bacon
- ¼ cup Kinder’s Brown Sugar Rub or other sweet rub of your choice
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, shredded cheese, cream cheese, jalapeños, and black pepper. Mix to combine, either by hand or using a mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Carefully stuff the manicotti shells with the meat mixture.
- Wrap the stuffed manicotti shells with bacon, gently stretching the bacon to cover as much of the pasta shell as possible, and sprinkle with the brown sugar rub.
- Cover the pasta shells with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to allow the pasta to soften.
- Preheat the smoker to 350°F. Once hot, place the stuffed shells into the smoker for 1 hour, until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F. Baste the shells with your favorite barbeque sauce, and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve whole or cut into slices.
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