Smoked Shotgun Shells! Your go to Appetizer!

This appetizer is easy to make and packed with bold flavors! At its core, it's a manicotti shell stuffed with a delicious meat filling, wrapped in bacon, and smoked to perfection. Use this recipe as a base and tweak it to suit your taste!

Ingredients:

• 500g ground meat (I used a 50/50 mix of venison and pork)

• 2-3 cloves garlic (or pre-crushed garlic)

• 1 box manicotti shells

• Beef Fix by Motley Que (check out the link below to order)

• Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning

• Kosmos Cow Cover

• Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ Sauce

• Winged Buffalo Hot Sauce by Bow Valley

• Cheddar cheese

• Bacon (not too thick)

🔥 For the smoker: I used Lumber Jack Apple Pellets for a touch of sweetness.

Instructions:

1. Mix the Filling – Combine the ground meat, garlic, seasonings, cheese, and a dash of hot sauce.

2. Stuff the Shells – Load the manicotti with the meat mixture.

3. Wrap in Bacon – Fully wrap each shell in bacon for that crispy, smoky goodness.

4. Season & Rest – Sprinkle extra seasoning on top and let them rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This helps soften the shells before smoking.

5. Preheat Smoker – Set your smoker to 275-300°F.

6. Smoke ‘Em – Place the manicotti on the smoker and cook for about 1 hour, checking for temp and crispness of the bacon.

7. Sauce at 165°F – Brush on Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ Sauce and let them caramelize.

8. Pull & Enjoy! – Once the bacon is crisp and the meat reaches temp, pull them off and dig in!

Pro Tip:

Make a big batch and freeze some for later. They reheat beautifully for an easy, crowd-pleasing snack!

What do you think? Anything you’d like to tweak? 🔥🐻

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