Embarrassingly simple chicken question...

[snafu]

I want to make a chicken casserole for tonight. If I browned the chicken pieces now and set them aside to cook in the casserole later (i.e. about 6pm) that would be Salmonella City, wouldn't it?? I should brown them and then casserole them immediately afterwards, shouldn't I?

I have a feeling I know the answer to this one already but just wanted to check.

[jangly]

Would be dodgy - you would have warmed them up a little bit!

[popsycal]

I would say......
Thoroughly cook them now and leave them to cool then add them to casserole and thoroughly reheat again

Or do it immediately before.....


but i am not the best cook....

[JanH]

FWIW I don't brown chicken for casseroles...

[Enid]

I would do it now - I never worry about salmonella. Fry off all your onions and stuff now too then put it in the fridge if you are worried (I would just leave it on the hob though)

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

[Marina]

I am with Enid. They will have the bejasus boiled out of them later on in the oven, I would say. We have done this more than once and never contracted salmonella, snafu.
That's when I am not emulating JanH and just slamming the whole lot in a Pyrex, of course...

[snafu]

Oooh, really, enid? You think it would be okay to brown them now? I must admit I'm not a great one for worrying about salmonella etc (see hygiene thread ) but cooking chicken safely is always a bit of a blind spot with me.

[KateandtheGirls]

I think if you put them right into the fridge after browning that would be safe (don't leave them lying round in your kitchen). But, I don't know whether it would be good flavour/texture wise. All that nice browning you've developed would go soggy. And don't you want to use the pan you've browned in as the basis for the casserole? (With all those yummy browned bits in the bottom.)

Disclaimer: I am neither a chef nor a food scientist.

[Enid]

but as Marina says you'll be simmering them for an hour or so later - in fact can't you make the whole thing now? or are you going out?

[morningmayhem]

I would casserole them immediately. Why don't you cook the casserole now and let it cool and keep it in the fridge till you want it tonight and then just heat it through

[snugs]

Fine to brown now and cook later BUT no re-heating of any leftovers.
Cool them as quickly as possible after you have browned them and keep in fridge til ready to finish cooking.

[motherinferior]

I'd do it now just because it'll taste better after loitering around for a bit.

[motherinferior]

I meant do the whole casserole now. Why not.

[Enid]

I have just poached a chicken breast, cut it up and put it aside in some tomato sauce to make into a pasta bake when dd1 and her friend come home from school - better put it in the fridge I guess

[snafu]

It's the cooking and then heating-through again bit that gets me confused. (I am not a bad cook really lol) I wanted to do some now because the timing will be all out for cooking and getting ds to bed etc if I did it all this evening.

[KateandtheGirls]

If you can do it all now that would be best, because it will taste better if it's sat around for a while (in the fridge!).

[snugs]

According to my ex-boss (food microbiologist) the general rule for any meat is cook once, reheat once only. You must chill thoroughly in between and then keep in fridge or freezer.

[motherinferior]

I suppose the fridge. Personally I probably wouldn't be arsed, but I'm sure I should be.

[snafu]

So I could do it all now, bung in fridge, reheat this evening to serve?

God, I am so ashamed to be asking this!

[KateandtheGirls]

Yes, and it would tstse best that way too!

[motherinferior]

Yes, go on, go on, go on. Sounds delish.

[snafu]

Lovely. Thank you, assorted MN oracles.

And if you son't see me around for a while, you know why

[Marina]

Maybe we should all switch to the yummy-sounding Humzinger Fruit Stix as advertised on this Topic header then! Knew about the re-heat rule Snugs, am having a bit of an OMG flashback to all the dodgy casseroling I have inflicted on my family in recent years (before kids no time was too much to spend macedoining, hand-julienning, bla de bla...now it's just me, a Pyrex, some iffy pork steaks and Loyd Grossman )

[acnebride]

though i do think that in this weather, if you turn off the heating the effect will be much the same

[snugs]

Marina - I know the rule and I happily repeat it to people, doesn't mean I follow it though