Cook with Mitch: Oven baked Shotgun Shells

Tonya found a recipe for these shotgun shells on Facebook. She made them and I got to test them. They are very yummy.

24 manicotti pasta shells

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage (remove casings)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup BBQ Rub

1 cup shredded Cheddar

24 slices bacon (not thick cut)

1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, plus more if desired

Cookie sheet lined with tin foil

Greased rack

Mixing bowl

BBQ Brush

PATIENCE

Combine hamburger, Italian sausage, onion, BBQ Rub and cheese, in a bowl. Mix until well combined.

With plenty of patience, gently insert the meat mixture into the manicotti shells. Wrap each shell with one slice of bacon.

Place shells on a lightly greased rack set inside a baking sheet and sprinkle each shell with more of the BBQ Rub.

Set the shells in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or overnight.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes.

Brush each shell with barbecue sauce.

Return to the oven and bake until deep golden brown and the bacon is slightly crispy, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Flip and brush with any more BBQ sauce and cook 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

When Tonya made this, she only got 12 shells, and she used the left over meat mixture to make some meatballs in spaghetti sauce.

Comments and suggestions ALWAYS appreciated.

Cook with Mitch