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A top down shot of Smoked Shotgun Shells on a platter
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3.46 from 210 votes

Smoked Shotgun Shells

This is the most amazing smoked appetizer ever! A seasoned beef and cheese filling stuffed inside of pasta tubes that are then wrapped in bacon and smoked - what's not to love? Make a batch today!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, bullet shells, shotgun shells, smoked shotgun shells, smoker, smoker appetizers
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 624kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 14 cannelloni shells oven-ready pasta tubes work best
  • 1 lb 80/20 ground beef medium ground beef
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 14 slices bacon

Instructions

  • Preheat your Traeger pellet smoker (or any other smoker) to 225-F.
  • Combine the ground beef, shredded cheese, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix until combined.
  • Working with one cannelloni tube at a time, stuff each tube with the beef mixture. Get as much into each shell as you can without jamming it or packing it in super-tightly.
  • Wrap each shell with bacon - starting at one end and winding the bacon around the shell as you work toward the opposite end.
  • Lay the filled and wrapped shells onto a baking sheet or sheet pan, put the pan in the smoker, and smoke for about an hour at 225-F.
  • Brush the outside of each shell with BBQ sauce and smoke for an additional 30-45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165-F and the pasta is tender.
  • Grill or griddle the finished shell for a minute or 2 to crisp the bacon up a bit. Alternatively, turn the Traeger up to 400-F to crisp up the shells. I used my Blackstone to reverse-sear the shells. This is an optional step.

Video

Notes

Chef Jenn's Tips

  • Oven-ready shells work the best for this and they'll cook on the smoker - don't worry about crunchy pasta.
  • 80/20 beef - or medium ground beef - works the best because the meat won't dry out, and the cheese adds plenty of moisture, too.
  • Regular cut bacon will wind easily around the shells. Cover as much of the shell as you can. The bacon protects the shells from drying out.
  • I love brushing the shells with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce but use your favorite.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tubes | Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 855mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 249mg | Iron: 4mg