Barbecue Shotgun Shells

Aug 18, 2023 • Tom Jackson

Chef Tom fires up the YS640s for Barbecue Shotgun Shells. This requested BBQ phenomenon is a tube of smoked sausage, pulled pork, smoked cheddar, and fire-roasted peppers. Wrapped in bacon and slathered with BBQ sauce. This is sure to be your next BBQ tradition.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

No boiling required. The pasta softens overnight in the fridge, absorbing moisture straight from the raw filling instead of needing a separate pot of boiling water.
Bacon does the wrapping and the flavoring. One slice per shell both holds everything together and bastes the pasta in rendered fat as it smokes.
Sauce goes on at the very end. Brushing BBQ sauce only in the last 10 minutes lets it tack up into a glaze instead of burning over 90 minutes of smoke.
A genuine make-ahead appetizer. Since the shells rest overnight before cooking, most of the work happens the day before you actually need to serve them.

Barbecue Shotgun Shells

Tom Jackson

Rated 3.8 stars by 50 users

Cuisine

American

Servings

14

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

90 minutes

Calories

425

Ready, aim, fire! Chef Tom hits the target with these Barbecue Shotgun Shells. It’s BBQ stuff manicotti! Pasta-filled tubes of smoked sausage, pulled pork, smoked cheddar, and peppers wrapped in bacon and smoked with a layer of a sweet heat BBQ sauce.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

16 manicotti
1 lb raw smoked sausage
1 cup pulled pork
1 cup smoked cheddar
1/2 cup 505 fire roasted green chiles
16 slices bacon
Yoder Smokers Pork Rub
Meat Mitch Whomp Barbecue Sauce

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Directions

Combine the raw smoked sausage, pulled pork, smoked cheddar and fire roasted peppers in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well to combine.
Stuff the mixture into the manicotti shells, filling the pasta as full as possible.
Wrap one slice of bacon around each stuffed manicotti. When all of the pasta is stuffed and wrapped, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to soften the pasta.
The next day, preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 250ºF.
Season the shotgun shells modestly with Yoder Smokers Pork Rub.
Place the shotgun shells on a wire rack, then transfer to the second shelf of the smoker.
Smoke until the bacon is rendered and browning, about 90 minutes, turning the pan occasionally to cook evenly.
When the bacon is rendered, brush the shotgun shells with Meat Mitch Whoomp Barbecue Sauce, then let cook for ten more minutes to tack up the sauce.
Remove from the smoker and serve warm.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

Why refrigerate the stuffed shells overnight instead of parboiling the pasta?
Letting the raw, stuffed manicotti rest overnight allows the pasta to absorb moisture directly from the raw filling, softening it without a separate boiling step.

What internal temperature should these reach?
Since the filling includes raw sausage, use a meat thermometer to confirm the center of the shells reaches a safe internal temperature — don't rely on the bacon's appearance alone as your only doneness cue.

Can I use a different cheese or meat filling?
Yes — this recipe is flexible. Any smoked or cured sausage and firm melting cheese will work in place of what's listed, as long as the filling holds together when stuffed.

Can I prep these further in advance?
Yes — the stuffed, bacon-wrapped shells can sit covered in the fridge for up to a day before smoking, which is actually part of the intended process here.

Why brush the sauce on near the end instead of at the start?
Adding BBQ sauce only in the final 10 minutes lets it tack up into a glaze without scorching over the full 90-minute smoke — sauced too early, the sugars would burn long before the bacon finishes rendering.

How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
3 out of 5 — works indoors with adjustments, but the grill is recommended. A low oven can render the bacon and cook the filling through, but you'll lose the smoke flavor this recipe is built around.

Recipe Highlights

Filling stuffed raw, not pre-cooked: Direction Step 1 combines the raw smoked sausage, pulled pork, cheese, and chiles straight into the mixing bowl — nothing gets cooked before it goes into the pasta.
Overnight rest softens the pasta: Step 3 refrigerates the stuffed, bacon-wrapped shells overnight so the manicotti absorbs moisture from the filling itself, which is what makes the pasta tender by the time it smokes.
Low and slow to fully render the bacon: Step 7 holds the smoker at 250ºF for about 90 minutes — that extended time at moderate heat is what's needed to fully render the bacon wrap, not just cook the filling through.
Sauced only in the final stretch: Step 8 brushes on BBQ sauce with about 10 minutes left, giving it just enough time to tack up into a glaze without burning.