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If you’re looking for a fun, flavorful twist on appetizers, you have to try this shotgun shells recipe! This bacon cheeseburger shotgun shells recipe is stuffed with creamy, cheesy goodness, wrapped in crispy bacon, and smoked to perfection. Whether you’re hosting a game day party or just want a delicious appetizer, this dish is sure to be a big hit.
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Let’s Prep
To get the shotgun shells recipe started grab your ingredients and start preparing. For this shotgun shells recipe, you’ll need manicotti pasta, ground beef, cream cheese, cheddar, pickles, onions, bacon and some BBQ sauce. I like to use regular-cut bacon for this recipe since it crisps up beautifully on the smoker, and cooks more evenly than thick-cut bacon.
Start by parboiling the uncooked manicotti shells for just a few minutes. Don’t overboil them because they will get mushy and not cook well. The manicotti noodle is the one item that holds together the entire shotgun shells recipe.
Parboiling them softens them slightly, making them easier to stuff. While they cool, cook your ground beef with some Oh My Garlic seasoning. Once the beef is cooked, let it cool before mixing it with the other ingredients of the shotgun shells recipe.
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In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, finely chopped pickles, and onions. The mix smells so good already—you’ll be tempted to grab a spoon and taste test! Once it’s well combined, scoop the mixture into a piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off) to make filling the shells easy.
Note – if manicotti shells are hard to find in your area, you can use cannelloni shells, or any other pasta resembling manicotti tubes.
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Let’s Cook
Here’s the fun part of the shotgun shells recipe—stuffing the manicotti noodles! Carefully pipe the mixture of ground beef and cheeses into each pasta tube until it’s completely full. Then, wrap each shell in two slices of bacon, making sure the seams overlap to keep everything together.
Place the wrapped shells seam-side down on a wire rack so they hold their shape while cooking. You could put a baking sheet underneath to catch grease if helpful.
Before they hit the smoker, sprinkle them with a little extra seasoning for good measure. I use Oh My Garlic, because it’s the perfect mix of garlic and herbs flavor.
Set your smoker to 375°F, and let it preheat. Once it’s ready, place the rack of stuffed shells inside and close the lid. It’s important to note that we’re cooking over indirect heat for this shotgun shells recipe. Direct heat will cause the bacon and pasta shells to burn and cook unevenly.
Let them cook for about 40-45 minutes, but start checking around 30 minutes. You’re looking for crispy perfection—when the bacon is golden and sizzling, you know it’s time to finish them off with a glaze.
Grab your basting brush, and slather the shells with your favorite barbecue sauce (this step is key for adding that sticky, smoky flavor) and let them cook for another 5 minutes to set the glaze.
Let’s Eat
Now for the hardest part—waiting! Once your smoked shotgun shells come off the smoker, let them rest for 5-10 minutes. This gives the cheese mixture time to firm up a bit and keeps you from burning your mouth (been there, done that).
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When you’re ready to dig in, slice into one and get ready for the ultimate bite. The creamy cheese mixture, smoky bacon, and tender shell come together in the most amazing way. Serve these up as a great appetizer for any occasion. They’re perfect for game day or even just a casual family dinner.
Tips for Next Time
- Want a little spice? Swap the cheddar for pepper jack cheese or add some chopped hot Italian sausage to the mix.
- Don’t have a smoker? No problem! You can bake these on a sheet pan in the oven at 375°F. They won’t have the same smokey flavors, but they’ll still be delicious.
- For a different spin, experiment with different fillings—like breakfast sausage or even shredded chicken.
These delicious treats are so versatile, and I promise they’ll disappear fast.
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Ingredients
- 1 LB Ground Beef
- 2 TBSP Oh My Garlic Seasoning
- 1 C Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 4 TBSP Dill pickles finely chopped
- 4 TBSP White Onion finely chopped
- 8 oz Cream Cheese (1 block)
- 8 Manicotti
- 16 strips Bacon 2 per shell, regular cut
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 375F
- Parboil the manicotti shells for 3-4 minutes to soften them slightly.
- Cook your ground beef seasoned with Oh My Garlic Seasoning, and set aside to cool while you're prepare the rest of the ingredients
- Chop your pickles and onions finely (if you have dill relish that'll work also.)
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, shredded cheddar, pickles, onions & cream cheese with the cooked ground beef. Mix well to combine, and place into ziploc or piping bag when finished
- Pipe the cream cheese mixture into the manicotti shell until the shell is completely full. Wrap in 2 slices of bacon making sure that your seams are overlapped and the ends are on the bottom of the shell to hold it all together while cooking. Place on wire rack and season with more Oh My Garlic.
- Place in smoker to cook with the lid closed for 40-45 minutes. Begin checking them at 30 minutes as cooking times will vary.
- When bacon is looking crispy and done to your liking, brush with BBQ sauce as the last step and close the lid to the smoker and let them glaze for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from smoker and let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow them to cool so you don't burn your mouth.
Nutrition
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