Pheasant shotshells are a play on words relating hunting tools and gear to food. Shotshells, in the food sense, are stuffed cannelloni noodles. Ground or chopped pheasant, ricotta cheese, spices, and fresh, crisp vegetables are the payload in the shotshell, and they can be smoked, barbecued, or baked.

A pheasant shotshell is the perfect appetizer or finger food for hunters and anyone you want to introduce to wild game.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs ground pheasant
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ cup red pepper, chopped fine
• ½ large yellow onion, chopped fine
• 16 oz ricotta cheese
• ½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp seasoning salt
• 1 8 oz box oven-ready cannelloni noodles (20 pipes)
• 1 lb bacon (20 slices)
• 3 oz barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Mix the ground pheasant, garlic, red pepper, onion, ricotta, mozzarella, and spices.
2. Fill the cannelloni tubes with the pheasant mixture.
3. Wrap each stuffed cannelloni with a full-length strip of bacon.
4. Preheat a smoker to 225°F and place the bacon-wrapped cannelloni on the grill. Smoke for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
5. Brush the bacon with your favourite barbecue sauce and turn the smoker to 350°F. Smoke for another 15 minutes and serve hot.

* To barbecue, use low, slow heat to cook the bacon and ensure the pasta absorbs moisture from the filling. To bake, heat oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes, then sauce the shells, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

*Regular sliced bacon works best because thick-cut bacon will not render or crisp well.