Meals in a Jar (17 page)

For cheese: You’ll need 24 (4-ounce) servings of Parmesan to create all 24 ready-made meals. The cheese can be finely grated Parmesan vacuum-sealed into 4-ounce servings, or you can vacuum-seal or wax 4-ounce chunks of cheese and grate the cheese at time of use.

For salt: Divide the salt into 24 (2-tablespoon) portions and package each in a small zip-top bag.

For beef: If using freeze-dried beef or TVP, in each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried beef or TVP

For sausage: If using freeze-dried, in each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried sausage crumbles

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 8 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 pound pasta

• 1 packet salt

• 1 pint spaghetti sauce

• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese

• 1 jar or bag each of beef, meatballs, sausage, clams, and olives (or omit for plain)

Label each bag:

Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water and add salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the pasta. Cook until almost al dente, 6 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, warm the pasta sauce with any included meat or olives over medium-low heat. When the pasta is almost done, drain off most of the water (reserve about 1 cup in case you need to thin the sauce). Add the sauce to the drained pasta and stir to coat and finish cooking together. Serve the pasta topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4
.

Macaroni and Beef in a Creamy Tomato Sauce aka Beefaroni

Yum, tender beef and pasta in a creamy tomato sauce. Every kid’s favorite and loved by adults as well.

Makes 6 (6 to 8-serving) meals

Ingredients

6 pounds macaroni or other pasta shape

3/4 cup salt

6 (1-pint) jars Home-Canned Spaghetti Sauce (
page 74
) or 6 (16-ounce) cans store-bought spaghetti sauce

6 (1-pint) jars Home-Canned Beef (
page 48
) or 12 cups freeze-dried beef, sausage, or TVP

3 cups sour cream powder

Instructions

For pasta: In each of 6 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1 pound pasta

• 2 tablespoons salt

For freeze-dried meat (if using): In each of 6 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried beef, sausage, or TVP

For sour cream: In each of 6 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1/2 cup sour cream powder

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 6 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 pound of macaroni or other pasta shape and salt

• 1 jar spaghetti sauce

• 1 pint home-canned beef or 1 bag freeze-dried meat

• 1 bag cream powder

Label each bag:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pot over medium heat, warm the sauce and meat. When pasta is done, drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream powder with 1/4 cup of water. Combine the pasta, sauce, and sour cream, toss to combine, and serve. Serves 6 to 8
.

Baked Pasta Ready-Made Meals

The most basic yet satisfying of all casseroles is baked pasta. There are two ways to make this: You can boil the pasta on the stovetop and serve it casserole-style from the skillet, either baked in the oven or not; or, you can assemble a baking dish of all the ingredients, adding the pasta raw, and adding 2 cups of water. The pasta will absorb the extra water and become tender while it cooks. I love this approach, because rather than cleaning a pot, a colander, and a pan, I only have one baking dish to clean, and the whole thing cooks unattended. Yay for one-dish cooking!

Makes 16 (6 to 8-serving) meals, 4 each of 4 varieties

Ingredients

4 (1-pint) jars Home-Canned Beef (
page 48
) (ground or chunks) or 8 cups of freeze-dried beef or TVP

4 (1-pint) jars home-canned crumbled sausage or 8 cups freeze-dried sausage crumbles

6 cups dried mushrooms

2 pounds Parmesan cheese

16 (1-pound) bags pasta (a variety of shapes would be lovely)

16 (1-pint) jars Home-Canned Spaghetti Sauce (
page 74
) or store-bought spaghetti sauce

2 (24-ounce) bags individually packaged string cheese

4 (1-pint) jars home-canned meatballs

Instructions

For beef: If using freeze-dried beef or TVP, in each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried beef or TVP

For sausage: If using freeze-dried, in each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried sausage crumbles

For mushrooms: In each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1-1/2 cups dried mushrooms

For cheese: You’ll need 16 (4-ounce) servings of Parmesan to create all 24 ready-made meals. The cheese can be finely grated Parmesan (like Kraft brand) vacuum-sealed into 4-ounce servings, or you can vacuum-seal or wax 4-ounce chunks of cheese and grate the cheese at time of use.

Ready-Made Meal Assembly

In each of 16 Mylar bags, tote bags, or vacuum bags, store:

• 1 pound pasta

• 1 pint spaghetti sauce

• 3 packets string cheese

• 1 (4-ounce) package Parmesan cheese

• 1 pint or bag beef, sausage, or meatballs, or 1 bag mushrooms

Label each bag:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Open and chop the string cheese. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, mix together all the ingredients (except the Parmesan cheese) and 2 cups of water. Bake for 1 hour. Stir. Top with grated Parmesan and bake 15 more minutes. Alternately, cook in a solar oven or wonder oven. Serves 6 to 8
.

Creamy Baked Pasta Ready-Made Meals

Yum, creamy pasta and lovely sauce. This recipe works with either commercially jarred Alfredo sauce or with the packet of cream sauce mix included in this recipe. The cream sauce mix uses a combination of dry milk and powdered sour cream, which doesn’t sound like much, but is actually quite delicious. I love that you can make 16 of these easily at once. That’s both money-saving and time-saving.

Makes 16 (8-serving) meals, 4 each of 4 varieties

Ingredients

16 pints Alfredo sauce or 5-1/3 cups dry milk and 5-1/3 cups powdered sour cream

12 (1-pint) jars home-canned chicken or 24 cups freeze-dried chicken

4 (1-pint) home-canned diced ham or 8 cups freeze-dried ham

4 cups dehydrated mushrooms

18 cups dried peas

4 cups dehydrated broccoli

12 cups dry breadcrumbs

6 (1-pound) bags pasta (a variety of shapes would be lovely)

2 cups salt, packaged in 24 (2-tablespoon) portions in zip-top bags

4 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese (like Kraft brand)

Instructions

For sauce: If not using store-bought Alfredo sauce, in each of 16 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2/3 cup dry milk

• 2/3 cup powdered sour cream

For chicken: If using freeze-dried, in each of 16 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried chicken

For ham: If using freeze-dried, in each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 2 cups freeze-dried ham

For mushrooms: In each of 4 vacuum bags, add and then seal:

• 1 cup dehydrated mushrooms