What is it about food served in canning jars? Sure, we could use a plate and scoop ourselves a portion like normal adults, but where's the fun in that? Besides, packing food in jars or baking directly in them makes dishes easy to transport and mess-free. Sounds good to us!

A canning jar is essentially a ramekin. Anything that you can bake in a ramekin can also be baked in a canning jar, with the added advantage that you can screw a lid on a canning jar and take your food with you!

1. Salads - From grain salads and fruit salads packing it in jars is an easy way of passing out portions at a picnic.

2. Cupcakes and Quick Breads - Jars keep the crumb-factor to a minimum (plus help us with portion control). You can bake them right in the jar or portion them afterward, like these cute Red Velvet Cupcakes from Eat Drink Pretty.

3. Cobblers and Pies - Fruit on the bottom, pastry on top. Entirely delicious. Not Martha has tutorials for both the cobbler and the pie version on her website.

4. Puddings, Panna Cottas, and Mousses - We usually portion these into ramekins anyway. Butterscotch pudding is a favorite, but honey lavender panna cotta sounds perfect for an outdoor party.

5. Egg Dishes - Frittatas are baked in the oven, right? Portion the egg mixture into ramekins instead and we have brunch-on-the-go.

6. Casseroles - Think mac n' cheese, mushroom casserole, or even individually portioned panade.

7. Full Meals - That idea for a BBQ meal in a jar might be on to something. Rather than packing lots of tiny containers, why not put the whole meal in a larger canning jar?

What other dishes do you think work well "in a jar"?

Related: 10 Pieces of Inspiration for Planning Your Summer Picnics

(Images: Not Martha, Country Living, and Giver's Log)