Tony Soprano Shotgun Shells

• total time: 2 hours 39 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs ground chicken

2 lbs thinly sliced bacon

2 boxes manicotti shells

1 cup whole milk, ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

6-10 cloves garlic, grated

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar glaze

2 tbsp hot sauce

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp black pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, along with garlic, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, and seasonings.Mix until well combined.

Transfer the ground chicken mixture into piping bags. Pipe the chicken mixture into each individual manicotti shell then wrap with one slice of bacon. Make sure that the pasta is completely covered by the bacon.

Refrigerate overnight to soften the manicotti shells. The next day preheat your smoker to 300° and cook the shotgun shells for one hour to 90 minutes until the bacon is crispy. You can season the outside of the shells with Italian seasoning or salt and pepper if you like.

Serve with a trio of dipping sauces, including marinara, Alfredo, and pesto sauce. Drizzle with additional balsamic glaze before serving.

notes

If you don’t have a piping bag, place the ground chicken into a freezer bag and cut the corner off to use as a piping bag. If all else fails, you can use a spoon and your fingers to fill the shells.

Store in the fridge for up to five days.

Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes