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Pasta stuffed with spicy, cheesy meat, wrapped in bacon, and glazed in barbecue sauce: these are pure game-day fun, and you don’t need a smoker to make them.
What Ingredients Do You Need To Make Shotgun Shell Manicotti?
- Manicotti Pasta Shells
- Ground Beef
- Hot Italian Sausage
- Pepper Jack Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper
- Bacon
- BBQ Sauce
How Do You Make Shotgun Shell Manicotti?
Start by par-boiling the manicotti shells in salted water for just 2 minutes, then drain and let them cool. That quick dip softens them enough that they won’t crack when you stuff them, but they still finish cooking in the oven.
While they cool, combine the ground beef, sausage, Pepper Jack, cream cheese, and spices in a large bowl. Mix gently, just until everything comes together. Overworking the meat makes the filling dense and tough instead of juicy.
Next, stuff the shells. A piping bag makes this easy, but a small spoon works too. Fill each shell from both ends and pack it firmly, so there are no empty pockets in the middle. Then wrap each one snugly in a slice of bacon and tuck the ends underneath. Setting them seam-side down keeps the bacon from unwinding as it cooks.
Arrange the shells on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. The rack lets air circulate and the fat drip away, so the bacon crisps on every side instead of sitting in grease. Brush them lightly with half the barbecue sauce.
Bake at 300 for 1½ to 2 hours, until the bacon is rendered and crisp and a knife slides easily through the pasta. The low temperature gives the filling and pasta time to cook through before the bacon and sauce burn. Brush on the rest of the sauce during the last 15 minutes for a sticky, glossy finish, then let them rest for 5 minutes before serving with extra sauce.
Shotgun Shell Manicotti
Ingredients
- 16 manicotti pasta shells, uncooked
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb hot italian sausage
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 /2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 16 slices bacon
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
Preparation
- Par-boil the pasta shells in well-salted water for 2 minutes, drain and cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, pepper jack, cream cheese, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, and pepper, mixing thoroughly until combined.
- Using a piping bag, a small spoon, or your hands, stuff the raw meat mixture into the par-cooked manicotti shells from both ends, packing firmly and filling completely.
- Wrap each stuffed shell tightly with a slice of bacon, tucking the ends underneath to secure.
- Arrange the wrapped shells on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, brush lightly with ½ cup of the barbecue sauce.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°F. Bake the shells for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until the bacon is rendered and crisp and the pasta is tender when pierced with a knife.
- Brush with the remaining barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving with extra barbecue sauce on the side.