• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the manicotti. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse. Separate the noodles so they don’t stick or collapse. Don't boil the noodles any longer, or they can become soggy!
• Mix the beef and sausage together until combined. Add the cheese, cream cheese, ½ cup BBQ sauce, jalapeños, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper and mix until well combined.
• Using your hands, gently stuff the shells with the meat mixture, making sure to push the filling all the way to the middle, with no air bubbles. I like to add the meat from one side to ensure the center of the shell gets filled.
• Wrap a piece of bacon tightly around each shell. Brush the bacon wrapped shells with BBQ sauce.

Grilling

• If using a gas grill, heat the grill to 300°F, then turn off the burners on half the grill. If using a charcoal grill, lay the charcoal on one side only and keep the fire lower at around 300°F.
• Place the shotgun shells on the side away from the fire. Brush with more BBQ sauce and cover the grill. Cook for 15 minutes, then flip and brush the other side with BBQ sauce. Continue cooking for about 10 to 15 minutes more, until the bacon is crispy and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F.

Smoker

• Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Smoke for 60 minutes, brushing with bbq sauce half way through. After the first 60 minutes, flip the shells over, add more barbecue sauce, and continue smoking for another 30 minutes.
• Brush them with bbq sauce once more and then continue smoking them for 20 to 30 minutes more, until the bacon is crispy and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F.

Oven

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Arrange the shells on the baking sheet in an even layer, leaving a little room between each one for even cooking.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Flip and brush with bbq sauce, then bake for 15 minutes more. Flip once more and brush again with bbq sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the bacon is crispy and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F. If you bacon is not crispy enough, you can broil them for a few minutes, just watch very closely!

Air Fryer

• Place 5 to 6 shells in the air fryer basket and set the air fryer to 300°F. You will need to cook the shotgun shells in batches. Cook the shells for 10 minutes, then flip and brush with more BBQ sauce. Flip and brush them with bbq sauce once more, cooking for 10 minutes more.
• Flip one last time, brushing with bbq sauce once more, and then cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the bacon is crispy a meat thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160°F.