Shotgun Shells

This is my newest Super Bowl favorite - Shotgun Shells!  This is a hearty appetizer that delivers a savory blend of beef and sausage then wrapped in bacon!  What's not to LOVE about that combination!

You'll need:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 7 oz can diced green chilis (drained)
1/4 cup of your favorite bbq seasoning (Honey Hog BBQ from Meat Church is my fav)
2 8 oz boxes of manicotti shells (dry and uncooked)
4 cups of your favorite bbq sauce (I use Patti's BBQ or Sweet Baby Rays)
1 lb bacon

Blend the ground beef, Italian sausage, cheeses, chilis and a hand of bbq seasoning.  Blend well to combine all ingredients.  Use a piping tool (or your hands) to stuff each manicotti shell then wrap each shell tightly with a slice of bacon.  Place each stuffed shell on a bacon baking rack and then sprinkle all the stuffed shells with another dusting of bbq seasoning.

Baste each shell with a generous amount of bbq sauce.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight (this process will help soften those shells).  When you are ready to bake these, uncover them and bake in a 350* oven for 40 minutes.  Remove and baste each shell with additional bbq sauce and sprinkle with your bbq seasoning then return them to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.

You can amp this up with jalapeños peppers or add scallions if you like it hotter.  You could adjust the cheese as well to all pepper cheese for the spicy fans or for a milder version use a half a block of cream cheese with the cheddar.

That's all there is to it!  Plate these and serve them warm!  This will be a great center to your tailgate party or compliment all your other halftime goodies!