AIBU to go out and leave potato bake cooking in the oven while I'm gone?

[Smarties789]

I've got to go and do the school run in a bit.

Going to cook some potato bake for the kids tea, but we're in a rush when I get back to eat tea and got to out again so not very long to get back, wait for oven to heat up, 50 minutes to cook the potato bake and then time for kids to eat it.

I never go out and leave the oven on, but would I be unreasonable to put it in the oven just before I go out, so that it will be more or less ready for when we get back or is this dangerous?

I would. Can't see the potato spontaneously combusting

I do it all the time
Think of people with slow cookers
They leave it on all day!

Eh? I do this ALL the time. YANBU.

Of course it will be fine.

I do this all the time with baked pots, roast chicken etc so dont worry.

Is your oven gas or electric?

Think of central heating on a thermostat; boilers click on and off all day unsupervised, and I see ovens as more trustworthy than boilers.

YANBU.
Lots of ovens have an automatic program so that you can arrange for it to come on at a certain time, for a certain length of time. I never use mine, not because I'm worried it's dangerous but because I'm not orgainsied enough!

I leave tea in the oven most days, either on a timer or just on. So far, so good.

Think you will be fine.

My oven has a timer so I don't even have to be there to turn it on!! I have never even thought that I shouldn't leave things cooking in the oven while I am out

Thanks, I never go out and leave stuff cooking so just wanted to check it was okay to do this but you've all convinced me! Will save me a lot of time! Don't know why I haven't thought to do this before now

My mum used to do this all the time.

Then we had a very near miss and our dog nearly died from smoke inhalation!

I think she still does it though...

My oven has an automatic timer I leave stuff in the oven/ in slow cooker all the time. Don't usually leave stuff on the hob though, well only for short trips out, have left stock on whilst i go out for a run.

I do this all the time.

The only precaustion I take is to knock the temperature down a little as I go out the door, just in case I am delayed on my travels.

I do this every christmas day with the turkey... we arrive home from a festive walk (and glass of port!) to lunch almost ready!

If your oven is going to explode or something, better when you're not it. Maybe cook everything while you're out...

This is a revelation to me. I once made DH turn back when we were half way from London to Cornwall because I thought I'd left the oven on, I hadn't because I had already checked it 30 times before we left. I also check it about 5 times before I go to bed. I think I would spontaneously combust with worry if I left the house with the oven on. I am clearly a bit OCD.

I leave stuff cooking all the time, the house is still here.

My housemate used to do this.

I came back to the flat one evening to the sound of a fire alarm blaring out. As I climbed the three flights of stairs to the flat and the noise became louder, it occurred to me that it just might be our fire alarm going off.

I found a flat full of smoke and a very black potato in the oven.

Do it all the time, makes the kitchen nice and warm for when you come back in.

You trust the fridge & it's full of weird gases. Trust the oven. :)

I expect you leave your washing machine on. My Zanussi washing machine is about 30 years old and I still put it on and go out, leaving it. Says something about Zanussi, doesn't it?

I am a nervous cook, but I would do what you ended up doing, although I would put the oven on a lower heat, just in case. I don't think I have ever even gone upstairs when the hob's on and I gather the courage to use the grill about twice a year!

Better not get an Aga OP. You'd never leave the house.