I was at a party where they had Stuffed Shotgun Shells and they were great! So my mind started working… how can I make them?
In the recipes that I looked at there are two fixed ingredients: manicotti shells and bacon. The stuffing had three ingredients: some kind of meat, some kind if cheese, and some kind of peppers.
So….
Ingredients:
- 1 box Manicotti Shells (Options: cannelloni pasta or large shells)
- 1 lbs. Bacon
- Dry meat rub
- BBQ sauce
Meats: any of the following as long as the total adds up to a little over a pound,
- 15% to 20% fat hamburger meat
- Sweet sausage meat
- Hot sausage meat
- Pepperoni
Cheeses: any of the following as long as the total adds up to a little over eight ounces of cheese,
- Cream cheese
- Pepper jack cheese, shredded
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Peppers: any of the following finely diced peppers,
- Green or red peppers
- Jalapeno peppers*
- Habaneros peppers (If you want to go hog-wild on the spicy)*
*It is advised to wear gloves when handling hot peppers.
Directions:
- Pre-boil them first. Boil the manicotti shells for 3-4 minutes until the exterior is slightly soft, but they should still be firm and hold their shape.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, cheese, and peppers together.
- Stuff the manicotti shells with the sausage, cheese, and pepper mixture.
- Wrap the shells in bacon. Ensure that the entire manicotti shell is covered by bacon. This will help to prevent the edges from getting too crispy.
- Apply a generous amount of your favorite rub evenly over the bacon wrap stuffed shells. Make sure to cover it completely.
- Allow to rest for four hours or overnight.
- Cooking...
- Oven: Preheat your oven to 275°F. Place the shotgun shells on a parchment lined sheet pan or baking sheet and cook on the middle rack for 60 minutes.
- Air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy.
- Smoker: Preheat your smoker to 275°F. Smoke for 60 minutes.
- Grill: Preheat your grill to 275°F. Cook for 30 minutes.
- Check for an internal temperature of 165 – 170°F.
- Coat the shotgun shells with the BBQ sauce be sure to coat the shotgun shells well on all sides and the ends. The BBQ sauce will keep the noodles soft, so lather it on thick, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Let them cool and cut them into one inch pieces.
Tips:
- The ones that I had were a little on the dry side, so it is important to use high fat content meats and if you are using pork you have to make sure you do not over cook them and make sure you cover them completely in BBQ sauce.
- To store them, let the shotgun shells cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat them in an oven-safe dish and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can also heat them in the microwave or the air fryer.
