Name: Smoked Shotgun Shells
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 1 box manicotti shells; ½ pound ground beef; ¾ pound mild or hot Italian sausage; medium onion; 4 ounces cream cheese (softened); 2 cups cheese (see notes below for suitable cheeses); 2 tablespoons Either store-bought dry rub or homemade (plus more for sprinkling); ½ cup your favorite BBQ sauce to finish; 1 pound bacon

Jump to Recipe

Think of Smoked Shotgun Shells as an exciting fusion between traditional Italian cuisine and the rustic charm of a Southern BBQ.

Dipping the smoked shotgun shell into BBQ sauce. — Smoked Shotgun Shells

When we think of stuffed manicotti shells, we picture meaty, cheesy comfort food.

But what if we gave this classic dish an unexpected twist? Enter the world of smoked delicacies. 🌫️🍝 We still stuff these with meat and cheese but then we add a few extra surprises to make them even more delicious.

What are Stuffed Shotgun Shells?

These delicious appetizers, or even served as main dishes, are delicious stuffed manicotti. We stuff them with a mixture of cheeses, Italian sausage, and ground beef.

What you Need

Manicotti Shells: Use them without par cooking them. We’ll show you a trick so they are smoked to the perfect al dente pasta bite without boiling. You can substitute cannelloni shells if you can’t find manicotti.
Ground Beef: Use 80% lean beef. This will add the fat needed to soften the pasta.
Italian Sausage: Use either hot or sweet sausage, depending on your guests’ tastes.
Onion: Dice the onion small. Use a yellow or white onion. You could also use onion powder.
Garlic: Mince the garlic fine.
Cream Cheese: Softened to room temperature.
Monterey Jack Cheese: Or substitute mild or sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, gouda, or Colby Jack. Grate it.
Bacon: Use either thick-cut or thin-cut smoked bacon.
Dry BBQ Rub: You can use any dry rub that you like. Store-bought or homemade.
BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite sauce. We like this homemade Honey BBQ Sauce.

Ingredients for smoked shotgun shells. See details in recipe below. — Smoked shells ingredients

How to Make Them

Step One

Chop onions into fine dice.

Chopped onions on a cutting board. — Chop onions fine.

Step Two

Add meats, cheese, and onion, and rub into a large mixing bowl.

All ingredients in a large bowl. — Add all ingredients to a large bowl, except BBQ sauce.

Step Three

Mix well, but don’t overwork; the meat mixture will get tough.

Ingredients in the bowl mixed up. — Mix gently, but thoroughly.

Step Four

Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with the meat and cheese mixture.

You can use a pastry bag to make stuffing easier. You can stuff it in with your hands, as well. Be sure to remove any air pockets.

Stuffed shells on a baking sheet. — Stuff raw shells with the meat mixture.

Step Five

Wrap each pasta shell in a full slice of bacon.

Bacon wrapped shells on baking dish. — Wrap each shell with bacon.

Step Six

Sprinkle all sides with some of the rub.

Place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

Refrigerate overnight. Do not skip this step. This is what will soften the pasta so that you end up with a perfect al dente bite.

Bacon wrapped shells sprinkled with dry rub. — Sprinkle with the additional rub.

Step Seven

Remove the shells from the refrigerator.

Sprinkle with additional rub, if desired.

Shells heavily seasoned with rub the next day. — Season them more after removing them from the fridge.

Step Eight

Step up your smoker or grill with wood chips or pellets and a water tray.

Place the stuffed shells directly onto the rack of the smoker.

Smoke for 90 minutes to two hours until internal temperature reads 165°, with a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a shell.

Stuffed shells in the smoker. — Place the shells directly on your smoker rack.

Brush the wrapped shells with barbecue sauce about 30 minutes before they are done.

What Wood to Use

We like a blend of woods such as apple, cherry, maple, oak, or hickory.

Pile of shells on a black plate with parsley garnish.

How to Store| Reheat Leftovers

Wrap the shells tightly with aluminum foil or use an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze them in single-serve portions for your family.

To reheat leftovers, remove the bag or container from the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheat in the air fryer at 300°F for about 5 minutes. Flip and air fry for another 3-5 minutes until the center is hot.

To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the shells on a sheet pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are hot inside.

To reheat in the microwave, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Flip them and reheat another one to two minutes.

Pro Tips and Variations

For a bit of heat, consider adding finely minced jalapeno pepper and pepper jack cheese to the filling.
Use different spices. You can make an Italian-inspired dish by brushing them with garlic butter at the end, in place of the BBQ sauce. Serve these with marinara sauce for dipping. Use mozzarella, pecorino romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheeses for the filling.
Make a Mexican-inspired shell by adding chorizo, Queso fresco, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Use your favorite salsa for dipping these.
Ensure you stuff them completely and remove any air pockets so the pasta softens.
Do not skip the overnight resting step. This will ensure perfectly cooked pasta.
Cook the low and slow (275°F/135°C) to get the best crispiness on the outside and ensure that the meat filling is cooked through.