...to be worried about eating this stew?

[GaryBarlowsPants]

Made a lovely chicken stew last night and forgot to put it in the fridge overnight. I popped it in the fridge first thing this morning, and against my better judgement, have just reheated it and eaten it.
I brought it to the boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes - it smelled and tasted fine but I'm now really worried that we are going to get food poisoning. DC did not eat it, thank goodness.
DH thinks I am being unreasonable - am I?!
I do realise I should have considered this BEFORE I ate it but....
Help!

I would have eaten it without a second thought. If it had been high summer and read hot, or loads of flies or something I'd have thought carefully about it, but as long as it smelled and tasted ok, it will have been fine, especially if you've boiled the life out of it.

^ red hot, not read

Im sure it will be fine, so long as it was hot all the way through

I'd have eaten it too. With this weather my kitchen is almost as cold as the fridge at night and most of the day. I probably wouldn't give it to the DCs though

Yes it will be absolutely fine. I leave casseroles out for a couple of days sometimes (if I can't find room in the fridge for it).
As long as you heat it thoroughly. As you did. Fret not my dear!

Thank you very much everyone. I am hugely relieved to be told IABU!

It will be fine! I do this all the time because I am lazy and we have never been ill yet!

Well personally I would have had it simmering for a good 20 mins. I wouldn't have thought that 10mins would be enough really.

I'm sure you'll be fine though.

Another that leaves stuff out overnight all the time - shouldn't be a problem at all, especially in this colder weather.

And don't forget, plenty of people made stews in the days before fridges and kept them for a few days. Use your nose and common sense.

I remember stayig with my auntie years ago. She wasn't a cook but had got a gammon joint to boil up, which she did. Then left on the hob at room temperature for 3 days so that she could then make soup out of the "stock"!!!! I was like this at the thought but luckily she said "oh it doesn't smell right anymore" and binned it. She was very "pre-modern conveniences" in her attitude!!

Thanks everyone. I am very reassured!

I'm pretty certain it will be fine, as long as it was piping hot! I wouldn't have eaten it though. I'm one of those fussy people who can't eat anything passed its use by date and if something isn't stored properly or covered properly I can't eat it! It's like a mental block, even if the food smells and looks fine, I physically can't put it in my mouth!

I'm sure i will be fine, I've done that before but i nuke the food to reheat to be sure-ills most things.

Yabu, I would not have given it a second thought.

Its not ideal but if you put a lid on a stew while it is being cooked and then take it off the heat and leave it to cool overnight in a cold kitchen and never take the lid off there will be little risk.

Simple fact is that no bacteria or at least very few could have got into the dish through the lid.

Blitzing it to a high temp when reheating will kill any that did get in and start growing.

Sorry, but I always get worried when I read the advice on threads such as these...

I am sure the stew was fine because it would have been cool in your kitchen overnight.

But it's a myth that boiling something for a while will make it safe to eat - there are some bacteria that produce toxins which cannot be destroyed by heat. Also, some bacteria do not make food smell or taste off. The taste/smell test is useful - but not conclusive.

I'd have eaten it too. But then in my younger years I used to eat pizza left in the box overnight on the coffee tale as my breakfast, Mmmm the memories I love cold leftovers