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Final dish of oven-baked pasta shells with smoky bacon and hearty meat filling.

Oven Baked Shotgun Shells Recipe

These Oven Baked Shotgun Shells are stuffed manicotti shells filled with beef, sausage, cheese, jalapeño, and spices, then wrapped in bacon and baked with BBQ sauce.
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Oven Baked Shotgun Shells Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 28

Ingredients

  • 2 boxes manicotti shells 8 oz each
  • 1 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 2 cups Colby Jack cheddar cheese shredded
  • 6 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 jalapeño finely diced
  • 2 tsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 packages bacon 12 oz each
  • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
  • Additional BBQ sauce for coating

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  • Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • Place a wire rack on top of the prepared baking sheet and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, hot Italian sausage, finely diced onion, shredded Colby Jack cheddar cheese, softened cream cheese, finely diced jalapeño, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1/3 cup BBQ sauce.
  • Mix until all ingredients are evenly combined.
  • Gently stuff the uncooked manicotti shells with the meat and cheese mixture.
  • Fill each shell from both ends to ensure the filling reaches the center.
  • Press the filling in carefully, avoiding air pockets.
  • Wrap each stuffed manicotti shell with bacon, covering the shell and both ends completely.
  • Use two slices of bacon per shell if needed to fully cover the pasta.
  • Brush additional BBQ sauce over both sides of each bacon-wrapped shell.
  • Arrange the prepared shells on the wire rack, leaving space between each one.
  • Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven.
  • Bake for 60 minutes.
  • Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully turn each shell over.
  • Brush the shells with additional BBQ sauce.
  • Return the baking sheet to the oven.
  • Continue baking for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the filling is fully cooked.
  • Check that the center of the meat filling reaches 160°F before serving.
  • Remove the shells from the oven.
  • Allow them to rest for a few minutes before serving.
  • Serve warm with extra BBQ sauce, if desired.

Notes

To make this Oven Baked Shotgun Shells Recipe gluten free, use gluten-free manicotti shells or another sturdy gluten-free tube pasta suitable for stuffing.
Confirm that the ground beef, hot Italian sausage, bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, and seasonings are labeled gluten free.
Use a gluten-free Cajun-style seasoning if Slap Ya Mama seasoning is not verified gluten free.
Check the BBQ sauce label carefully, as some brands may contain gluten-based thickeners, malt vinegar, or wheat-derived ingredients.
Prepare the recipe on clean surfaces with clean utensils to avoid cross-contamination.