Simple Pressure Canned Meals in a Jar: Lasagna
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We’ve got impending storms, possibly nasty (but who really knows since the weather predictions are never right), headed our way and I was just thinking about making a big lasagna, but didn’t necessarily want to eat the leftovers for the rest of the week. Unfortunately for me, I do not know how to make a *small* lasagna. And after about meal #3 of lasagna, we’re over it.
Enter my BRIGHT idea! LIGHTBULBBBB. Let’s can half of it. Your girl loves some good pressure canned meals in a jar. That way I can make the normal amount of sauce along with plenty of the herb-y cheese spread and not have a ton of leftovers. I mean, who would be mad about homemade lasagna?! Certainly not my son who is the only one in this household that is not upset about eating leftovers. The kid loves it. Almost as much as his pickled green beans.
Not only is it a very filling meal, but it’s ready to use and insanely easy to dump, heat, and eat (even over a fire if need be). I really love convenience of pressure canned meals in a jar like this in my canning pantry, especially for times that electricity could be out and things get a bit more cumbersome to cook… I enjoy being on the grid, guys!
I can this recipe in pint jars just so I have a choice between how much I have when I open it. A pint jar, dumped out and covered with cheese and baked ’til warm and bubbly will feed both of my kids for lunch. I would estimate a pint jar could feed two adults as well, assuming you’re eating only to fuel yourself ’til the hunger goes away and not until you have to unbutton your pants.
Canned lasagna is definitely NOT better than making it fresh and baking, but it does hit the spot either way. I never will choose canned pasta over making it fresh, but sometimes the convenience wins for me. That’s why I can homemade macaroni and cheese and spaghetti oh’s too!
This is just another one of those quick meals I can heat that I know will taste good and nourish my family. Meals like this come in clutch, too, when I’m sick and can hardly move, which doesn’t happen very often but when I go down, I GO DOWN.
We don’t get meal delivery out here in the boonies, so it’s all on meeeeeee. I’m also not leaving my house to hit the drive thru… it’s expensive, doesn’t taste good AT ALL, and isn’t close. And my options are slim.
I am giving you this recipe in a PER PINT JAR format so you can make one as a tester jar to see if you even like the flavor and texture of canned pasta. There’s nothing worse than going “all in” on a canning recipe to find out you hate it. That was chicken fajitas in a jar for me :( so baddddd.
Rebel Canning
This recipe can be considered rebel canning. Why? Because it calls for and uses ingredients that are not approved for canning by the NCHFP or USDA. What does that mean? Ingredients, like pasta and dairy, have not been evaluated nor tested for SaFeTy by someone and then adopted by the NCHFP as “safe and approved” and therefore the rule beaters take that as EVERYONE DIED THAT CANNED DAIRY IT IS NOT SAFE CALL 911 OMG DAIRY DEATH DYING BOTULISM.
That isn’t the case. It’s not been tested by someone and then picked up and distributed by the NCHFP, therefore they will not endorse or share instructions to can it. Liability and all that jazz. A bit of critical thinking tells you that you can compare density and acidity to other recipes and get your processing times and be just fine.
Plus, we’re gonna dump these jars out and heat them thoroughly before eating. They’re plenty safe. BUT. If you’re not comfortable canning unapproved ingredients, that’s no skin off my nose. Don’t do it! I don’t want you wasting your precious time and money canning something you’ll ultimately be afraid of! So, read this, be informed, and make your own decision on what you’re comfortable canning. What I do in my own kitchen and share on my OWN BLOG, does not, I repeat DOES NOT have to be what you do. We can still be friends, too!
Far too many times folks take the list of “approved” ingredients as the end all be all. They believe that things “cannot” be pressure canned and that certainly isn’t the case. Which I have flapped about over and over and over again.
It’s not can’t. It’s untested. And untested ingredients do not equate unsafe. And then there is some ingredients that were tested and are no longer approved. NOT because everyone that canned them died of botulism, but because the end product really wasn’t good. It wasn’t palatable and they deemed it to be a waste of our time.
I know sometimes rebel canners are considered reckless and unsafe, but that isn’t the case. We aren’t reckless. And many of us have done our due diligence and studied the science behind canning and the studies and such. There is no science if things aren’t constantly being questioned and I don’t know why all of a sudden science can only happen if it’s conducted and approved by the government. I don’t even really like to call myself a rebel canner. Moreso a common sense canner because I have domain over my own brain and don’t need someone to make or validate my decisions for me.
The USDA doesn’t control how we can at home. The NCHFP doesn’t control how we can at home. They simply proved guidelines. GUIDELINES. Define that. Guideline is a general rule, principle, or piece of advice. Does that say law? Does that mean that when I refute their guidelines I’m participating in illegal activity? NO.
If you would like a common sense approach to botulism and home canning, I’d recommend you read through my blog post here.
Pressure Canning
I know this recipe does include an acidic ingredient, the tomato sauce, but I do opt to pressure can this due to the addition of both meat and pasta. The general guideline for adjusting canning recipes that you create yourself is to can for the ingredient with the longest processing time. In this case, the meat. Especially because I added quite a bit.
Pressure canning is specifically recommended for canning LOW ACID foods. Those that have a pH greater than 4.6. A pH above 4.6 is considered C. botulinum “friendly” meaning the spore can survive in that environment. It no like-y acid. That’s why the modern guidelines are to pressure can anything low acid to guarantee your food hits the higher temperature to “guarantee” the food hits the temperature that denatures the spore, which is incredibly heat resistant.
There’s nuance to this recommendation, since scientifically, there is no one single time and temperature that will denature a c. botulinum bacterial spore. It’s a logarithmic curve related to time and temperature. But, it’s easiest to give one singular recommendation and stick with it. Less margin for error. Less likely to confuse stupid people. All that.
If you like to water bath can everything, you can this as well. I will sometimes dabble in water bath canning pasta because the texture is better, but this particular day I just wasn’t feeling babysitting a 3 hour boiling pot. OKKKK?
Pressure canning is super easy and once you get a run or two under your belt, you will feel more confident doing it. I know a lot of folks are afraid of pressure canners, to which I say modern pressure canners have many safety features to prevent explosions. I don’t care what that Facebook AI picture said.
There are many brands of pressure canners out there, including manual/conventional ones that you place over a heat source and also electric ones. You guys see me use my electric one constantly in my reels and shorts. Love that thing!
Obtaining a pressure canner unlocks a door to a whole new world of canning. It’s not just green beans and such, but there are so many pressure canning recipes to make canned meals in a jar. Convenience food you can put up on the shelf and squirrel away for later when you need a minnit!
And it’s not just rebel canning recipes, like some of mine are. But there are guidelines, even from the NCHFP, to make your soup soups stews and more using their advice. You can craft your own meals that you find delicious and save yourself some time. Need easy meals to take to work? Can them in pints and go! Canning meals in jars for shelf stable food will ALWAYS be my thing.
Once you get the canning bug, you’ll be crafting your own pressure canned meals, I just know it :)
Ricotta Cheese
You absolutely cannot skip the cheese. No-sir-ree-bawb. The cheese is the best part of lasagna and if you disagree with that, just go ahead and block me. I jest.
I normally don’t make ricotta because it’s really not that great and opt to just use my homemade chevre and sub it for ricotta as they’re extremely similar, but ricotta works too and is crazy easy to make homemade! I will also make labneh and use that, which is what I used in the reel I shared on this recipe.
Both options are creamier, have a better flavor, and are richer and a touch sweeter than ricotta. Plus, when you make either of these cheeses, the whey is sweet and usable because they aren’t set with an acid (vinegar or lemon juice).
I will link to recipe to how I make my own chevre (which you can use with cow milk to make bovre) below this so you can make some delicious cheese cultured with kefir.
How To Use This Meal In a Jar
Sometimes the hardest part of canning meals in a jar isn’t the actual canning, but actually USING them. I struggled when I first picked up canning on my own actually using my jars. Learning what I needed and would actually use.
So, that’s why I always recommend you do a small test batch to see if you actually reach for it, use it, and like it. There’s nothing worse than canning 18 pints of something just to realize you actually hate it.
For this canned lasagna, I dump it onto the baking sheet of my air fryer (mine is like a miniature oven), add some mozzarella cheese if I want, and then air fry it at 400F just until its warm and the cheese has melted. Perfection every time.
Making a Larger Canning Batch
This recipe is per pint jar to allow you to adjust your batches to your liking and to make a test jar. Honestly, you could just concoct your own lasagna recipe and just add it to jars, but I know it helps to have a guideline from someone who has done it before!
When I can this, I will make my “normal” batches of everything and can half and make a lasagna out of the second half in a smaller baking dish. My lasagna recipe normally makes a pretty full 9×13 pan.
Ingredients for large batch:
- 2 pounds ground meat (I use beef & goat)
- 2 quarts roasted tomato pasta sauce
- Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups labneh or chevre (seasoned)
- Lasagna noodles (about 13-14 sheets)
After browning the meat, seasoning, and then adding the pasta sauce to heat through. I will assemble 4 wide mouth pints worth of lasagna and fill the canner and use the remainder of this batch to make a small lasagna in a 8×4 pan. If you want to just do all canned, this amount will do approximately 7-8 pints in total to give you an idea to resize from there.
If you make a small pan of lasagna, layer it as normal starting with some sauce in the bottom. In my 8×4 dish, I can get about 3 layers of noodles and then top off with extra cheese and sauce.
Cover the dish with foil (or whatever nontoxic cover or lid you have if you don’t enjoy tin foil) and bake at 350F for 45 minutes – 1 hour. After this time, uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and bake another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, lightly brown, and bubbling.
Let it rest for about 10 minutes and then serve! Lasagna is even better the next day as leftovers. That’s why I like to can it because then it’s like a jar of leftover lasagna whenever I have a hankerin’.
More Pressure Canned Meals in a Jar
Chicken Teriyaki
Dump this jar, thicken the sauce, and serve over a bed of rice with fresh broccoli. Dinner done with minimal effort and not much forethought. Who needs takeout?!
Beef Stroganoff
Stroganoff is one of my favorite comfort meals and canning it makes comfort with minimal time. Canned beef is delicious and so flavorful and tender. Throw these jars together and can them up and have stroganoff in under 30 minutes with homemade egg noodles or mashed potatoes. One of my favs!
Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken
I know I already recommended a chicken teriyaki, but your girl needs options. And this teriyaki gives you those. It’s a completely different flavor profile and if you’re a pineapple and chicken fan, this will be the one! Make rice bowls and pile them high with thickened sauce and this chicken!
Ham and Bean Soup
This is a cheap and very easy meal to throw together with dry beans, chicken broth, and leftover ham. This is a go-to lunch staple in my household for a quick dump, heat and eat or I can make it a filling dinner with some cornbread muffins to go with it. You best be smothering it in ketchup or you aren’t a true hillbilly!
Butternut Squash Soup Starter
If you LOVE butternut squash soup, you gotta can this. My husband and I can eat a quarts worth in one sitting, it is so rich and delicious. A great way to can up any butternut squash that might not be storing well in your larder to preserve them for a delicious meal.
Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Soup
This is one of my favorite soups and nobody else in my family really likes it. So, I make a batch every year and can it in pints to enjoy for lunch for myself. Make a big batch of soup, can most of it, and have dinner made too. This recipe is super easy!
Rustic Tomato Basil Soup
This one one to throw together when the garden is coming in hot and tomatoes and fresh basil are plentiful. This rich and chunky soup is SO GOOD and lovely with a fresh milled bread grilled cheese.
I have a ton more recipes of meals in jars for you on my website, I just figured I’d add a few of my very favorites that I reach for most of all. I have found that keeping these meals in jars on my shelves stocked help me out tremendously. The biggest shock you’ll have once you stop depending on the grocery store and start growing and raising and preserving all your food is the amount of time you spend cooking and doing dishes.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it. But there’s days I just don’t want to think about dinner or I need a quick lunch, and these meals in jars have me covered. Whenever I’d be tempted to maybe call in an order to get pizza or head through the drive-thru, knowing I have some convenience food on the shelves really comes in handy.
Plus, ordering out is extremely expensive anymore, really not that good (we’re ALWAYS disappointed by the flavor when we eat out), and leaves us feeling awful because most restaurants use ingredients we don’t consume normally. And when you detox from that stuff and then consume it again, it makes you feel like literal garbage.
This isn’t shaming anyone that does eat out or hit the drive-thru, but rather maybe encourages you that you CAN avoid that and still feed your family without spending hours in the kitchen every single day. And that starts with spending a few hours one day to put multiple meals on the shelf.
Speaking of….
Nesco Electric Pressure Canner
This is the electric pressure canner (I linked it in the recipe card below) you will see me use in many of my reels and shorts. It has singlehandedly been the reason I have gotten so much canned and my shelves stocked. I can SO MANY pressure canned meals in a jar with this machine. While I do still have a manual pressure canner that can do larger batches, I have found that canning in small batches has been easier for me, especially now that I’m a Mom that homeschools. It’s more attainable, less time consuming, and such.
This Nesco canner is basically a turn it on, fill it up, set it to go and it’ll beep when it needs you. The hands off operation is what has sold me on it. And I’m not getting paid to tell you any of this. Not affiliated with Nesco in any way, I just really love their product and think that it can help you!
There’s another brand called Carey which is identical. I have heard rumblings that they may be merging to all Carey or maybe all Nesco? I’m not sure on that, but I’m not starting a rumor. Regardless, they’re a heck of a machine for their price.
I know some get freaked out by the non-stick insert, which isn’t ideal. Obviously stainless would be preferred, especially since it does have a pressure cook and slow cook and steam/saute function. We LOVE a multi-purpose tool. But, alas, it doesn’t so I don’t usually use it for slow cooking. But just using it as a canner alone has been life altering for my canning pantry.
It both water bath cans and pressure cans. I have made reels on how to use it before that you can find online and I’ll try to possibly upload them to this blog post if I can get that figured out. Millennial that acts like a boomer here! LOL
There is another brand of electric pressure canner made by Presto that I have heard good things about but it’s like 2-3x the price of the Nesco, holds 1 extra quart I do believe, and I find that I don’t want to spend that on an electronic. At the end of the day, it is an electronic and can/will fail on you, so take that into consideration.
For that reason, I do recommend purchasing a manual pressure canner (one you use over a heat source) prior to adding on an electric one. Just so you’re not dependent on electricity. But if you’re unable to handle a big manual canner, these little electric canners may be just your ticket to getting things done!
The Nesco pressure canner comes with a 10 and 15 pound weight so the weight can be adjusted for elevation. Many folks mistake mine for an Instant Pot, but Instant Pots and other electric pressure COOKERS aren’t normally big enough to hold quart jars and also don’t adjust for elevation. Generally speaking, under 1000 feet altitude uses 10 pounds of pressure and over uses 15 pounds of pressure. The ability to adjust the weight for you elevation is what makes these CANNERS.
You will hear from folks saying but it’s not a USDA approved canner. Wellll guess the heck what. Ain’t no canner approved by the USDA. There’s no USDA seal of approval for any of the canners. You can use a manual pressure canner incorrectly just as easily as an electric one. At some point we just have to take matters into our own hands and assume our own risk.
If I want to have a wild Friday night pressure canning beans in my electric pressure canner, you let me. If you’d rather use a different canner because you’re afraid of an electric one, do that. But just because you’re using a canner that someone doesn’t like doesn’t mean you’re gonna get botulism.
And the USDA doesn’t care. Promise.
Water Bath Canning Low Acid Food
This is always such a taboo topic, and I’ll recommend you read my blog post I wrote explaining commercial canning practices that then snowballs into how our canning “recipes” were tested and canning times came to be. And where that wretched 240F or die of botulism rule originated from.
Because, spoiler, it’s lazy fricken science.
Big surprise.
The studies done on low acid foods actually PROVED they can be processed via water bath and that the botulinum spore would be denatured due to extending the time at a certain temperature.
But did we pass that on to the general public? Absolutely not. Why? I think it was due to margin for error. People weren’t passing down the skill of canning to their children anymore because going to the grocery store was easier and they didn’t want them to have to work as hard as them.
So, then people were kinda guessing. And I do believe losing jars to spoilage as well. Not due to a giant outbreak of botulism. And this could be due to multiple factors…. not having the water at a full rolling boil but maybe just a simmer, not putting the lids on correctly or prepping them right, or even not adjusting times for elevation.
If you water bath something low acid, it has to be at a FULL ROLLING BOIL to guarantee it is to the right temperature and you have to add water to make sure AT MINIMUM the product level is submerged. That means the food remains submerged under water, not the entire jar. And if you don’t add water that is at a full rolling boil, you drop the temperature in that pot for several minutes and ruin your processing time.
There’s so many factors of why water bath canning low acid food can go wrong and it’s not just botulism. Obviously.
I’m a firm believer that you CAN water bath can everything, including low acid foods like meat and beans, but you have to be willing to do it right and you also need to be properly heating your food (as in boiling for 5-10 minutes) before consuming. Not everyone will agree with that, and that’s okay. But to tell folks that have water bath canned everything for generations that they have survivorship bias is an insane take. And a lazy science, ignorant one at that.
The 240F or bust rule started to GUARANTEE folks were processing their low acid food long enough and hot enough that they could literally have zero chance of the botulinum spore surviving. If you read my blog post that I linked above, or even go through USDA Bulletin 930 on your own, you’ll see the truth. And their graphs PROVED that water bath temperatures for longer times DO IN FACT denature a botulinum spore.
If you would rather water bath can this recipe, just water bath can it for meat times. Times vary between US and European times, so do with that information what you will. I normally do 3 hours at a full rolling boil. But also, do your own doggone research, because I ain’t your momma.
Let’s make some homemade lasagna pressure canned meals in a jar!
Equipment You Might Want:
- Wide Mouth Pint Jars
- Canning Lids & Screw Bands
- Cast Iron Pan
- Jar Funnel
- Pressure Canner
- Jar Lifter
- Water Bath Canning Pot
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup browned ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & Black Pepper
- 1 cup roasted tomato pasta sauce
- 3 Tbs labneh, chevre, or ricotta cheese
- 1 lasagna noodle
Step 1:Â Prep
This recipe is PER PINT JAR so you can can as much or as little as you’d like. 1 pound of browned meat will do 3-4 pints. I like to do 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound ground pork sausage and can 4 pints and use the rest to make a fresh lasagna for dinner!
Start with clean pint jars. Using a pastry brush, brush the jars with beef tallow on the bottom and along the sides. This helps keep the pasta from sticking.
Brown the meat in a preheated cast iron pan and drain any excess fat. Season with minced onion, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add roasted tomato sauce and heat through. Remove pan from heat.
Mix chevre with any seasonings you desire. I use garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
Break the lasagna pasta sheet into jar width pieces. It’s ok if smaller pieces break, you can layer a couple pieces of broken noodles per layer.
Step 2: Fill Jars
Start by adding a spoonful of meat sauce to the bottom of your jar, then a broken lasagna noodle, followed by a dab of the cheese mixture.
Repeat steps until the jar has been filled to 1 inch headspace, being sure to end with sauce on top. Tap the jar on the heel of your hand to settle ingredients and remove air bubbles.
Add tomato sauce to maintain headspace. Make sure meat sauce is the top layer.
Step 3: Canning
Wipe jar rims and add lids and secure with a screw band.
Process pint jars in a pressure canner for 75 minutes at your elevations weight for low acid food.
(Rebel) Water Bath Canning: Process pint jars in a boiling water bath for 3 hours at a full rolling boil, maintaining the boiling water at at least the product level.
Once processing time is complete, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and placing on a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
Step 4: Storage
Once cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Proper storage temperatures are 50-75F.
Shelf life is ’til you eat it. If the seal is good, the food is good. Be sure and properly heat your food prior to consuming. Aim to rotate canned foods out every 2 years for best nutrition and palatability, but they’ll last much longer if needed.
I try to consume and meal in jar recipes containing pasta within 1 year just for best quality and flavor and texture.
To Use:
Dump a pint or two into a greased baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350F until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. 1 pint will feed 1-2 adults or 2 children, depending on how hungry you are.
Notes:
If you would like to make a larger batch, please see the above blog post where I explain how I fill my small electric pressure canner with 4 pints and also make a small fresh lasagna for dinner. That recipe’s measurements should yield you about 7 pints total if you don’t make a freshly baked lasagna.
I hope you enjoy this lasagna in a jar canning recipe!
Equipment
- Wide Mouth Pint Jars
- Canning lids & screw bands
- Cast Iron Pan
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup browned ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Salt & Black Pepper
- 1 cup roasted tomato pasta sauce
- 3 Tbs labneh chevre, or ricotta cheese
- 1 lasagna noodle
Instructions
- This recipe is PER PINT JAR so you can can as much or as little as you’d like. Â 1 pound of browned meat will do 3-4 pints. Â I like to do 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound ground pork sausage and can 4 pints and use the rest to make a fresh lasagna for dinner!
- Start with clean pint jars. Â Using a pastry brush, brush the jars with beef tallow on the bottom and along the sides. Â This helps keep the pasta from sticking.
- Brown the meat in a preheated cast iron pan and drain any excess fat. Season with minced onion, garlic powder, salt & pepper.  Add roasted tomato sauce and heat through.  Remove pan from heat.
- Mix chevre with any seasonings you desire. I use garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
- Break the lasagna pasta sheet into jar width pieces. Â It’s ok if smaller pieces break, you can layer a couple pieces of broken noodles per layer.
- Start by adding a spoonful of meat sauce to the bottom of your jar, then a broken lasagna noodle, followed by a dab of the cheese mixture.
- Repeat steps until the jar has been filled to 1 inch headspace, being sure to end with sauce on top. Â Tap the jar on the heel of your hand to settle ingredients and remove air bubbles.
- Add tomato sauce to maintain headspace. Â Make sure meat sauce is the top layer.
- Wipe jar rims and add lids and secure with a screw band.
- Process pint jars in a pressure canner for 75 minutes at your elevations weight for low acid food.
- (Rebel) Water Bath Canning: Â Process pint jars in a boiling water bath for 3 hours at a full rolling boil, maintaining the boiling water at at least the product level.
- Once processing time is complete, allow pressure canner to completely depressurize before removing jars and placing on a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
- Once cooled, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Â Proper storage temperatures are 50-75F.
- Shelf life is ’til you eat it. Â If the seal is good, the food is good. Â Be sure and properly heat your food prior to consuming. Â Aim to rotate canned foods out every 2 years for best nutrition and palatability, but they’ll last much longer if needed.
- I try to consume and meal in jar recipes containing pasta within 1 year just for best quality and flavor and texture.
To Use:
- Dump a pint or two into a greased baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Â Bake at 350F until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. Â 1 pint will feed 1-2 adults or 2 children, depending on how hungry you are.
