8 Meals in a Jar Recipes (High in Protein)

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Meals canned in jars solve a problem that plain stockpiling doesn't. Buckets of rice and beans keep you alive, but they still ask for fuel, water, and time at the stove. A jar of stew asks for almost none of that.

On a day when the power is out, when you haven't been to the store in two weeks, when you're worn out or sick or simply have nothing fresh in the house, you open a jar, warm it, and eat. Preppers, homesteaders, and anyone deepening a home pantry can lean on these jars as the meals that carry them through the days when cooking from scratch is not on the table.

The recipes below come from the YouTube channel My Kitchen Tanja, whose creator learned to preserve food through real hardship: hyperinflation, empty store shelves, and rationed electricity. That lived experience shows in how practical these meals are. She cans whole dinners, not just plain meat, so that a single jar becomes a complete meal for the family.

You can watch her video and read the recipes below:

Before You Begin: A Word on Food Safety

The method shown here is water bath canning, which home cooks in many parts of the world have used for generations. It is worth knowing the tradeoffs before you start.

The USDA advises that low-acid foods, which includes meat, poultry, and most vegetables, be canned in a pressure canner rather than a boiling water bath. The reason is a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, the source of botulism. Its spores survive the 212°F (100°C) of boiling water. Only the higher temperature of a pressure canner, around 240°F (116°C), reliably destroys those spores in low-acid food. A tablespoon of vinegar per jar does not lower the acidity of a whole jar of meat and vegetables far enough to stop them on its own.

Here is the part that matters most for daily safety: heat every jar to at least 176°F (80°C) for 10 minutes before eating, and a full rolling boil for 10 minutes is better still. The spores are tough, but the toxin itself breaks down with heat. This reheating step is the single most important habit with any home-canned low-acid food. Botulism toxin has no taste and no smell, so you cannot judge a jar safe by how it looks or smells.

Bottom line: if you want the ready-to-eat convenience of these jars with the full margin of safety US authorities recommend, a pressure canner is the tool that gets you there. Whichever route you take, follow the reheating step every single time, and throw out without tasting any jar that fails to seal, leaks, bulges, hisses wrong, or smells off.

Batch One: Pork Shoulder, Three Meals at Once

This first session fills three jars, each one a different meal built on pork shoulder. Tanja uses 0.7 liter jars (roughly a 24 oz jar). Cut the pork shoulder into bite-size pieces and put a portion of meat in every jar first. Then build each jar as below.

Vegetables for the batch: About 2 red onions, 2 carrots, 3 potatoes, a scoop of peas, and a mix of green and yellow beans, divided across the three jars.

Seasoning that goes in every pork jar:

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dry organic seasoning (an additive-free blend, no nitrates or flavor enhancers)
• Sweet ground paprika
• 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar (or 2 tablespoons of 5% vinegar). Do not skip the vinegar.
• Water to fill the jar

Recipe 1: Potato Stew with Pork

• Pork shoulder pieces
• Potatoes, cut to fit
• Carrot, sliced
• Onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• The seasoning listed above, then water to fill

Recipe 2: Peas with Pork

• Pork shoulder pieces
• A scoop of peas
• Onion, chopped
• Carrot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• The seasoning listed above, then water to fill

Recipe 3: Green Beans with Pork

• Pork shoulder pieces
• Green and yellow beans
• Onion, chopped
• Carrot, sliced
• 1 clove garlic
• The seasoning listed above, then water to fill

Canning the Pork Jars

1. Add 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar to each filled jar.
2. Wipe the rim of each jar with vinegar so it is clean and dry.
3. Seal with clean, new lids.
4. Stand the jars in a large pot. Pour in water up to the height of the lids. A cloth on the bottom of the pot keeps the jars from knocking together.
5. Once the water boils, keep it boiling for 3 hours. (If you plan to keep the jars in the refrigerator and eat them within a month, 90 minutes is enough.)
6. Lift the jars out and let them cool in a dark spot, such as a pantry or basement.
7. When cool, the center of each lid should be pulled slightly down. That dip means the jar sealed. Jars boiled for 3 hours keep out of the refrigerator for a year or longer.

Batch Two: Chicken, Three More Meals

Tanja uses chicken drumsticks and legs here. Put chicken in each jar first, then build the three meals. These jars need a longer boil because the meat is on the bone (more on that below).

Recipe 4: Chicken with Rice

• Chicken drumsticks and legs
• Rice, then shake the jar to spread it around the meat
• Dry organic seasoning and salt
• Black pepper
• Sweet ground paprika
• 1 clove garlic
• Cold water to fill, leaving about one finger of space at the top

Recipe 5: Chicken with Green Beans and Rice

• Chicken drumsticks and legs
• A spoonful of chopped onion
• Carrot, sliced
• Green and yellow beans
• A little rice
• 1 clove garlic
• Black pepper, salt, dry organic seasoning, sweet ground paprika
• Cold water to fill

Recipe 6: Chicken with Green Beans and Carrots

• Chicken drumsticks and legs
• Onion, chopped
• Green beans
• Carrot, sliced
• Dry seasoning, black pepper, salt, sweet ground paprika
• Cold water to fill

Canning the Chicken Jars

1. Add 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar to each filled jar.
2. Wipe the rim with vinegar. The lids must fit snugly.
3. Seal, stand the jars in a pot, and pour water up to the height of the lids.
4. Once boiling, keep it going. For fridge storage eaten within a month, 3 hours is enough. For shelf-stable jars that last up to a year, boil for 5 hours. The extra time is needed because the chicken is on the bone.
5. Cool in a dark place. When cool, the center of each lid must be pulled in. That is the vacuum, and it means the jar sealed. If a lid has not dipped after cooling, refrigerate that jar and eat it within 3 days.

Batch Three: Beef Stew in a Jar

Unlike the first two batches, this stew is cooked on the stove first, then canned. Tanja uses 750 ml jars (close to a US quart).

For the stew:

• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) beef shoulder, cut into pieces
• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) onion, chopped
• 100 ml (about 6 to 7 tablespoons) vegetable oil
• Celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 500 ml (about 2 cups) tomato juice

For each jar:

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar per 750 ml jar
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Sweet ground paprika

Method:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes.
2. Add the chopped celery and fry a few minutes more.
3. Add the beef and fry for another 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste.
5. Pour in the tomato juice, stir, and simmer for a few minutes.
6. Into each clean jar, place 1 bay leaf, 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, sweet paprika, and 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar.
7. Ladle the stew into the jars.
8. Wipe the rims and seal with clean lids.
9. Stand the jars in a pot, pour water up to the height of the lids, and once boiling, keep it at a boil for 3 hours.
10. Store in a cool, dark place such as a basement or pantry. A proper jar makes a clear vacuum sound when opened. Sealed jars keep without refrigeration for a year or longer.

Batch Four: Meatballs in Sauce (Ćufte)

The last recipe is meatballs, browned and simmered in a tomato sauce, then canned in 0.7 liter jars.

For the meatballs:

• 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) minced meat
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 eggs
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dry organic seasoning
• Sweet ground paprika
• 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

For the sauce:

• 50 ml (about 3 to 4 tablespoons) vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Sweet ground paprika
• 500 ml (about 2 cups) tomato juice
• 500 ml (about 2 cups) water
• Dry organic seasoning

Plus: 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar per jar.

Method:

1. Combine the minced meat, chopped onion, garlic, eggs, salt, pepper, dry seasoning, sweet paprika, and breadcrumbs. Mix by hand.
2. Shape into meatballs.
3. Heat 50 ml vegetable oil and fry the meatballs a few minutes on each side. Set them aside to free up the pan.
4. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of flour and fry for about 20 seconds.
5. Stir in sweet paprika and fry a few seconds more.
6. Add 500 ml tomato juice, 500 ml water, and dry organic seasoning. Simmer a few minutes.
7. Pack the meatballs into the jars and cover with the sauce.
8. Add 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar to each jar.
9. Wipe the rims and seal with clean lids.
10. Stand the jars in a pot with a cloth on the bottom, pour water up to the height of the lids, and once boiling, boil for 3 hours.
11. When cool, each lid should dip slightly in the center, which means the seal took. Jars keep in a dark place for up to a year or longer.

Storage and Serving Notes

A few habits apply to every jar in this article, no matter which meal you canned:

• Store cool and dark. A pantry or basement shelf is ideal. Heat and light shorten shelf life.
• Check the seal. After cooling, the center of each lid should be pulled in. A jar that did not seal goes in the refrigerator and gets eaten within a few days, not onto the shelf.
• Reheat before eating, every time. Bring the contents to at least 176°F (80°C) for 10 minutes, and a full boil for 10 minutes is better. This is the safety step that protects you, and it is not optional.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Any jar that leaks, bulges, spurts liquid, or smells off goes in the trash without a taste. Botulism toxin gives no warning by taste or smell.

These jars are not a replacement for a well-rounded pantry, but they fill a gap that dry staples cannot. When the day comes that you cannot get to the store, cannot run the stove for long, or simply have nothing left to cook, a shelf of ready meals turns a hard evening into an easy one.

You May Also Like:

• How to Turn Meat Into Powder for a Longer Shelf Life
• 50+ Soup Canning Recipes You Have To Try
• How to Render Lard: Step by Step Guide
• Longest-Lasting Canned Foods for Your Stockpile
• 25 Strange Meals People Ate During The Great Depression

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Pioneer Recipes Everyone Should Know How To Make

Have you made some pioneer recipes that your ancestors made many years ago? They didn’t have the ingredients we have today, so they had to make do with what they had. And make do is what they did for sure. They had to fill their bellies because they were traveling in covered wagons, in most cases, with limited access to the General Store, back in the day. I updated this post last night; we need to take cooking from scratch seriously. We all know hard times are coming. My close friend, CA, mentioned to me, “Failure to plan on your part is not an emergency on my part.” I told her I want to frame this slogan.

The most common attribution is to Bob Carter, credited with the original phrasing “poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” But the true origin is murky. It likely traces back to a saying used in business and military circles in the 1980s, and it became widely popular in the 1990s among IT professionals and consultants. So there’s no single confirmed author, just a common attribution to Bob Carter.

Whether it was the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, or another destination, meal planning was tough during pioneer times.

Plus, even when they reached their destination, it could have been months or years before regular food supplies or merchant stores were readily available to purchase ingredients to make their favorite dish.

Why Every Family Should Learn To Cook From Scratch

Our pioneer ancestors had no choice but to cook from scratch. They grew what they ate, stretched every ingredient, and used meat sparingly because it was expensive and hard to keep without refrigeration. Today we have grocery stores full of convenience, but the lessons our great-grandparents lived by are becoming necessary again. Learning to cook from scratch is not just a nostalgic hobby. It’s a practical skill that protects your family’s budget and your family’s health.

When you cook using raw ingredients rather than relying on packaged or processed foods, you control exactly what goes into your family’s meals. You also stretch your grocery dollar much further. A bag of dried beans, a sack of flour, and a box of oats cost a fraction of what you’d pay for the equivalent in pre-made or packaged foods, and they last on your shelf far longer.

Meat has become one of the most expensive parts of the family budget. Beef prices climbed over twelve percent in the past year, and the USDA expects beef costs to keep rising through the rest of 2026 because the national cattle herd is near its smallest size in decades. That means fewer cattle available, which pushes prices higher no matter how much demand there is. Our pioneer families understood this instinctively. Meat was treated as a flavoring and a special occasion food, not the center of every meal. Recipes stretched a small amount of meat across a large pot of soup, stew, or beans, filling the family up on grains, legumes, and vegetables instead.

Bringing that mindset back into your kitchen today can make a real difference in your grocery bill. Try meatless bean soups, hearty grain-based dishes, and stews where a small amount of meat flavors a much larger pot. Your family gets a filling, nutritious meal, and you’re not paying premium prices for a pound of ground beef in every single dish.

So why do grocery prices keep climbing even when the news says inflation has cooled down? There are a few real reasons behind it.

First, prices are sticky on the way up and slow to come back down. Once a manufacturer or store raises a price, it rarely drops back to its starting level, even after the costs that caused the increase have eased. A loaf of bread that jumped in price a few years ago tends to stay near that higher price even after wheat costs settle.

Second, weather keeps disrupting the food supply. Drought and water shortages in major farming regions are driving up the cost of beef, vegetables, and other staples. When crops fail, or herds shrink due to weather, the reduced supply pushes prices higher at the store. Besides drought, many Midwestern states have been hit with unusually heavy rainy periods this year, washing out fields already planted.

Third, tariffs and higher costs for fuel, packaging, and imported ingredients are adding real dollars to family grocery bills every year, and those costs get passed straight through to the shelf price.

Fourth, and this is where your own habits matter most, families have shifted the way they shop. More households are stocking up when they see a good price, buying in bulk, and building a pantry instead of making frequent small trips. This is smart, and it’s exactly what our pioneer ancestors did out of necessity. But it also means demand for shelf-stable staples like flour, rice, beans, and canned goods stays high, which can keep prices firm even when other categories ease.

This is exactly why learning to cook from scratch matters so much right now. When you know how to turn basic pantry staples into nourishing meals, you’re not at the mercy of rising prices for pre-made convenience foods or expensive cuts of meat. You can shop sales, stock your pantry with staples that store well, and turn simple ingredients into meals that feed your family for a fraction of the cost.

Our pioneer ancestors passed down these skills because their survival depended on them. Today, learning to cook from scratch and using meat wisely isn’t about survival in the same way, but it’s one of the smartest things you can do to protect your family’s budget and your family’s health for years to come.

I sometimes think we’ll make these recipes again if and when we have a grid down, additional disasters, or whatever emergency you believe will happen. And they will happen, trust me.

For example, our power grid in the US is so outdated that it’ll take several years to upgrade or replace, if it can be replaced at all. Power outages are reported almost daily somewhere in the US. All the reported wildfires this year also contribute to power outages affecting thousands of families.

These pioneer recipes are well known, but I want to put them in printable form so you, my readers, can print them now before you need them. This is a post I wrote some years ago, but I felt the need to update it now in light of the challenges I’m reading about on social media and hearing about on TV.

Of course, if you cook from scratch, you know several recipes to get you by if the grocery stores are shut down for days, weeks, or months. Lodge Dutch Oven Cooking Chart

Kitchen Items Needed:

• Danish Whisk
• Dutch Oven
• Skillet
• Cast Iron Griddle
• Mixing Bowls
• Spatula
• Measuring Spoons and Cups
• Biscuit Cutter
• Cookie Sheet

Typical Ingredients:

• Cornmeal
• Salt
• Baking Soda
• Molasses
• Buttermilk
• Eggs
• Rice
• Raisins
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon
• Baking Powder
• Oil/Lard
• Flour
• Brown Sugar (1/4 cup molasses per one cup white sugar)
• Potatoes
• Milk or Cream

Pioneer Recipes

Mormon Johnny Cake

Bread is a staple in every era we read about. We all love bread as comfort food, which we know will fill us. If you have an iron pan or skillet, you can cook a variety of meals at home or outdoors.

The batter for this recipe is pretty simple to throw together with a small bowl or pot, a spatula, and all the ingredients on hand.

Print

Mormon Johnny Cake

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 eggs (optional for fluffy cake)

Instructions

• Combine the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and molasses.
• Add eggs if desired. Cook on a hot, greased cast-iron pan for about 20 minutes.

Spotted Pup

Breakfast is an important meal, no matter who you are and where you live. I love using a Dutch oven to cook meals; this is a great example. The ingredients in this recipe make for a flavorful, sweet meal everyone will enjoy!

Print

Spotted Pup

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1-1/3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions

• Preheat a seasoned Dutch oven to 300°F (150°C) and add ingredients as stated.
• Stir the eggs in quickly, or you will have scrambled eggs. Cook until the eggs are cooked through.
• This was served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This recipe makes a bowl of sweet rice and fills the belly.

Soda Biscuits

My family always made soda biscuits. There’s something awesome about making homemade biscuits. Did you grow up making them? I sure did. We would lather them with butter and homemade jam.

We’d also make bacon or chipped beef gravy to pour over biscuits a few times weekly for dinner. As long as you have some flour available, you can mix up a bread of your choice, and family members of all ages generally like biscuits.

Print

Soda Biscuits

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup oil

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients, and roll them out onto a floured board. Cut with an un-floured biscuit cutter.
• Bake in a Dutch oven or on an ungreased cookie sheet at 425°F (218°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Honey Candy

My church group used to pull this honey candy all the time. Those were great times when people socialized with one another. I miss those days. Having something sweet to look forward to is always welcome after a hard day on the trail or in the office.

This recipe is fun to make as a family team, whether around the kitchen table or the back of a covered wagon.

Print

Honey Candy

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 2 cups honey
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cream

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients and cook to a hardball stage.
• You can test the syrup for a hardball stage by drizzling a small amount into a cold cup of water. If a ball forms, it's ready.
• Pour onto buttered platters.
• Let it cool until your greased hands can start pulling it in sections, until it reaches a light golden color. Cut into pieces.

Potato Cakes

This is one of the recipes my family made frequently. It’s genuinely a cheap and filling meal. I grew up drizzling honey on mine. How did you eat yours? Life is so good with good friends and delicious food.

Print

Potato Cakes

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup milk or cream
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions

• Combine the ingredients, and scoop 1/8 cup onto a hot, greased griddle.
• Turn the potato cakes halfway through cooking so each side browns.
• Bake until light and golden brown in a greased cast iron pan. I grew up serving honey over my potato cakes.

Norwegian Lefse

Lefse is one of my favorite recipes, which my great-grandmother, Danny, a pioneer ancestor from Norway, taught me. I loved Danny, who reminded me of being this special pioneer woman. I enjoy my Lefse spread with butter and brown sugar, but my family prefers white sugar. My mouth is watering right now.

It’s all about memories, right? My husband hadn’t heard of Lefse until I introduced him to this recipe. We’d make it on weekend mornings when our kids were young, and they loved it! My Lefse Post

Print

Norwegian Lefse

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Danish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 4 cups mashed potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 cup sweet cream
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup flour (approximately-enough to roll lefse thin)

Instructions

• Boil the peeled potatoes, and mash very fine and fluffy.
• Add the cream, butter, sugar, and salt. Beat again until light and fluffy. Add flour just before rolling out.
• Roll a piece of the dough as for pie crust, rolling as thin as possible.
• Bake in a frying pan until light brown, flipping to cook both sides. When baked, place them on a plate with a cloth between them to keep them from drying out.

Bacon or Sausage Gravy

Biscuits and gravy are a favorite; I probably eat more than I should. This combination is one I grew up with because they were cheap to make, and my mom could stretch a meal with more flour and milk.

I actually went to several restaurants with a friend when we lived in Southern Utah to see who made the best sausage and biscuits. We decided it was a restaurant called Black Bear Diner. They were awesome!

Print

Bacon or Sausage Gravy

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Linda Loosli

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 gallon of milk
• 1 pound bacon or sausage
• sugar to taste (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Grab a frying pan and brown the bacon or sausage. Set the meat aside.
• Add the butter to the same pan and let it melt.
• Add the flour to make a roux with butter or bacon grease. When the roux is smooth, add the milk and stir until completely cooked through.
• Add the bacon bits or sausage pieces. Salt and pepper to taste. I add a little sugar; it is optional.

Some other old-time recipes you may want to research and make are hasty pudding, cornmeal mush, hard tack, Mormon gravy, corn dodgers, beef jerky, pemmican (dried meat), and apple pie, a US favorite. How To Make Hardtack.

Final Word

I hope this gives you a little more encouragement to lean into scratch cooking in your own kitchen. Our pioneer ancestors knew how to make the most of every ingredient, and that wisdom is just as valuable today as it was back then. I feel strongly about learning to cook inexpensive meals because I believe hard times are coming. Please teach your family how to cook from scratch. Learning how to cook these pioneer recipes would be an excellent start for any family wanting to be thrifty and self-reliant during tough times, as all preppers do. Thanks for prepping. May God bless this world. Linda

Copyright Images: Corn Bread Depositphotos_144909879_S By urban_light, Potato Pancakes Depositphotos_32744069_S By artcasta, Lefse On A Plate AdobeStock_73840057 By alkerk, Honey and Honeycomb AdobeStock_84586165 By BillionPhotos, Dinner Biscuits with Butter Depositphotos_3014825_S By rojoimages, Sausage and Biscuits Depositphotos_2705980_S By rojoimages, Rice Pudding In Bowl Depositphotos_139499888_S By studioM

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