Meals in a Jar: 101+ Easy Mason Jar Recipes

Meals in jars are a great way to put aside whole meals for your food storage. Through the canning or dry vacuuming process, you can put a meal up to help create long-term food storage.

While there are all sorts of fun things you can store in a jar in the fridge or keep on a shelf for a short period of time (like salads in a jar, etc.), I’m going to concentrate mostly on those food storage meals that you can put up for long-term storage.

I have all these #10 Cans? Can I use them?

If you’re sitting on a ton of #10 cans full of freeze-dried foods, what do you do with it? This method allows you to create meals from that food storage so that you can rotate this into your daily meals. Some of the links will be made by folks who sell certain freeze-dried food products.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a part of those companies to create these meals on your own, with your own supplies, or your own vendors. These are also a mix of Youtube videos and blog posts because there’s so much available everywhere!

While using your #10 cans to create stored food for basic meals, your long-term shelf life will be reduced. Since you’re reusing the cans the food you put inside them won’t last as long as the original product. Your foods will only last a few years as opposed to a suggested 25 years of the original product.

But you can create a shelf full of ready meals that are quick to put together and makes mealtime a snap on busy nights when you just don’t have time to cook a whole meal. You can also use your ready meals if you’ve forgotten to pull something out of the freezer.

Give the Gift of Meals in a Jar to Others

Think what a blessing a few of these meals would be to someone who is homebound from sickness or has lost a job and could use a nice meal or two to help them out! You can also give these meals in a jar as wedding gifts to a newlywed couple to help them establish their food storage (think of the old-fashioned pound parties) or even to new parents to give them some quick meals for hectic nights when Mom needs a break!

These gifts would be so much better used than simply a few #10 cans of ‘raw material’ (i.e. freeze-dried foods) that may not be understood nor may the recipient be knowledgeable about how to use them in their everyday life.

But a jar they can pour out, add some water and a few fresh ingredients, and wham! Dinner is served! That’s how Hamburger Helper became famous!

101+ Easy Meals in a Jar Recipes

Ready to begin? Let’s get started!

Breakfast Meals in a Jar

Almond Pancake Mix “>Almond Pancake Mix

Apple Pie Oatmeal (Instant) “>Apple Pie Oatmeal (Instant)

Blueberry Scones “>Blueberry Scones (not shelf-stable for long-term)

Breakfast Omelet “>Breakfast Omelet

Camper’s Eggy Delight “>Camper’s Eggy Delight

Cherry Chocolate Pancakes “>Cherry Chocolate Pancakes

Cinnamon Pancakes “>Cinnamon Pancakes

Cranberry Almond Cereal Mix “>Cranberry Almond Cereal Mix (not shelf-stable for long-term)

Hearty Pancake Mix “>Hearty Pancake Mix

Homemade Granola (*NST) This is good to make and to store for breakfasts and snacks, but because of the fat content in the granola, it’s not great for long-term storage.

Oatmeal “>Oatmeal (make your own flavored varieties to store)

Pancakes

Whole Grain Pancake Mix “>Whole Grain Pancake Mix

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake “>Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancake

Main Course Meals in a Jar

Beefy Spanish Rice “>Beefy Spanish Rice

Cheesy Sloppy Joe Hotdish “>Cheesy Sloppy Joe Hotdish

Chicken Alfredo “>Chicken Alfredo

Chicken and Rice “>Chicken and Rice

Chicken Chili “>Chicken Chili

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry “>Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry  | Video “>Video

Chili “>Chili

Chili Mac “>Chili Mac

Double Cheeseburger Sauce Mix “>Double Cheeseburger Sauce Mix – like Hamburger Helper

Hamburger Stew “>Hamburger Stew

Hawaiin Style Teriyaki Beef “>Hawaiin Style Teriyaki Beef

Hearty Chili “>Hearty Chili

Instant Chicken Salad “>Instant Chicken Salad

Jambalaya “>Jambalaya

Kansas City Chicken BBQ “>Kansas City Chicken BBQ

Kicked Up Mac n Cheese “>Kicked Up Mac n Cheese

Mac and Cheese “>Mac and Cheese

Quiche “>Quiche

Rosemary Chicken and Rice “>Rosemary Chicken and Rice

Sausage Frittata

Sausage Lasagna “>Sausage Lasagna

Sloppy Joes “>Sloppy Joes

Stroganoff Skillet “>Stroganoff Skillet

Stuffed Chicken and Gravy “>Stuffed Chicken and Gravy

Taco Beef and Cheese  |  Video “>Video

Thai Chicken in Spicy Peanut Sauce “>Thai Chicken in Spicy Peanut Sauce

Turkey Noodle Casserole  “>Turkey Noodle Casserole 

Soup Meals in a Jar

Beef Barley Soup “>Beef Barley Soup

Beefy Bean Soup “>Beefy Bean Soup

Buffalo Chicken and Rice “>Buffalo Chicken and Rice

Chicken and Rice Soup “>Chicken and Rice Soup

Cream Soup Mix “>Cream Soup Mix

Creamy Tomato Soup “>Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup “>Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Curried Lentil Soup “>Curried Lentil Soup

Ham Sausage and Bean Soup “>Ham Sausage and Bean Soup

Instant Cheese Soup “>Instant Cheese Soup  |  Video “>Video

Layered Dried Bean Soup “>Layered Dried Bean Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Love Soup

Minestrone Soup “>Minestrone Soup

Painted Desert Chili in a Jar “>Painted Desert Chili in a Jar

Palouse Soup “>Palouse Soup

Potato Soup “>Potato Soup

Soup Starters “>Soup Starters

Split Pea Soup “>Split Pea Soup

Taco Soup “>Taco Soup

Tortilla Soup “>Tortilla Soup

Turkey Noodle Soup “>Turkey Noodle Soup

Zombie Soup Mix “>Zombie Soup Mix

Sides in a Jar

Curried Rice Mix “>Curried Rice Mix

Cranberry Orange Rice

Creamy Herbed Rice Mix “>Creamy Herbed Rice Mix

Herbed Rice Mix “>Herbed Rice Mix

Lemon Dill Rice “>Lemon Dill Rice

Pot Roast Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes “>Pot Roast Gravy Over Mashed Potatoes

Refried Beans “>Refried Beans (this is basically just dehydrated refried beans, but when all you have to do is add water, it makes a quick and easy side or protein replacement!)

Chicken Flavored Rice Mix “>Chicken Flavored Rice Mix

Scalloped Potatoes “>Scalloped Potatoes  |  Video “>Video

Yellow Rice Mix “>Yellow Rice Mix

Desserts in a Jar

Blondie Brownies “>Blondie Brownies

Cornmeal Cookies “>Cornmeal Cookies

Monkie Munches Cookies

Tropical Mango-Berry Cobbler “>Tropical Mango-Berry Cobbler

Other Treats in a Jar

Blue Cornbread with Pineapple “>Blue Cornbread with Pineapple

Quick Bread “>Quick Bread

Savory Onion Roll “>Savory Onion Roll

Assorted Mixes in a Jar

Alfredo Sauce Mix “>Alfredo Sauce Mix

Basic White Sauce Mix “>Basic White Sauce Mix

Bisquick Substitute “>Bisquick Substitute

Blue Cheese Dressing “>Blue Cheese Dressing

Chicken Coating Mix “>Chicken Coating Mix

Mock Onion Soup Mix  “>Mock Onion Soup Mix 

Ranch Dressing Mix “>Ranch Dressing Mix

Taco Seasoning Mix “>Taco Seasoning Mix

Drinks in a Jar

Cappuccino Mix “>Cappuccino Mix

Chai Tea Mix “>Chai Tea Mix

Fireside Coffee Mix “>Fireside Coffee Mix

French Vanilla Cocoa Mix “>French Vanilla Cocoa Mix

Hot Cocoa Mix (you can even use dehydrated marshmallows to make it more shelf-stable)

Snowman Soup “>Snowman Soup

Spiced Hot Cocoa

Mocha Cocoa “>Mocha Cocoa

Salads in a Jar

These salads are not shelf-stable, but they are a great way to prepare a week worth of meals and have them tucked away in the fridge to save you tons of time.

Cornbread & Turkey “>Cornbread & Turkey

Salad in a jar “>Salad in a jar

Wheatberry Apple salad “>Wheatberry Apple salad

Sites dedicated to Meals in Jars

Rainy Day Food Storage “>Rainy Day Food Storage

Mixes in a Jar “>Mixes in a Jar

52 Method Jar “>52 Method Jar

Meals In a Jar Recipes: Further Tips

Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook  (How to Store Meals in a Jar

You can store them by drying, vacuum canning them in a mason jar, placing them in a jar with an oxygen absorber, or by putting them in a mylar bag and sealing them. (Tutorials coming soon!)

While they don’t last as long as the individual freeze-dried or dehydrated commercial products that are sealed in those #10 cans, if stored properly with shelf-stable ingredients, they can last up to 5-7 years.

What’s your favorite meal in a jar recipe?

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