Smoked Sausage and Bacon Manicotti

This recipe is very easy to make and so unique! I have never tried this combination of flavors before, but I loved how it turned out and had fun making this with my husband! An easy way to make dinner: a couple manicotti with a side of leafy greens!

Supplies:

• electric smoker

• wood chips (I used oak)

• pastry brush

Servings: 14 Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 package manicotti noodles

• 1 Lb mild Italian sausage

• 1 Lb bacon of choice

• 1 can whole water chestnuts

• 2 c sharp cheddar cheese

• BBQ seasoning of choice

• BBQ sauce of choice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine sausage with BBQ seasoning to your tastes. Add cheddar cheese and mix together.

2. Stuff the mixture into the manicotti noodles. Add a water chestnut on the ends of each manicotti for a little extra crunch factor!

3. Wrap each noodle with a piece of bacon. Make sure to try and cover the noodle as much as possible so the moisture stays in and there will be no hard spots.

4. Add wood chips and water in the appropriate dish in the electric smoker. Turn it on high. I used the smoker in cold weather, so the temperature did not go much above 170F, and the noodles smoked around 2 hours. If you use a higher temperature, they will cook faster so just check on them!

5. When the bacon looks crunchy and done, take the pastry brush and apply a coating of BBQ sauce on top of the noodles and let smoke for 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

This was before going in the smoker, they turned out fantastic!