Sister claimed she’d get food poisoning from my chilli

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My sister and her DH dropped round for a quick lunch this afternoon. We’d arranged it in advance but I forgot to get the food out the freezer first thing this morning as have been very busy.

At 12pm I took a portion of batch-cooked veggie chilli out the freezer. Sister arrived at 2pm when it was still defrosting in an open Tupperware tub (lid off) on the kitchen counter. At 2.30pm I tipped it (semi-frozen) into a pan and added some boiling water, heated it up on the hob for half an hour and served it with rice.

While it was cooking she was complaining that reheating straight from frozen is a bad idea, we’d all get food poisoning etc. I’ve reheated from frozen/semi-frozen many a time (including meat dishes, not just veggie) and was a bit miffed that she was slagging off my cooking in front of my DH and hers tbh.

AIBU to think she was being completely over the top and that reheating straight from frozen is not a big deal/health hazard?

Oh blimey - I am SO anal about food hygiene and worry needlessly about many things and I reheat batch-cooked food from frozen SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

Really not a problem at all provided it's piping hot. I do this with meat and veg dishes. It's fine!

I am sooooo picky about food hygiene. Never eat stuff past use by dates and bin anything I’m even slightly worried about.
That chilli? Not a problem. She’s nuts!

Absolutely fine, your sisters being a bit ott.

I don't get why you added boiling water to the chilli? What for? Surely that would have made it very, well, watery?

It's safer to cook it straight from frozen if anything. She's being an idiot.

Plus. It's vegetables.......

I wouldn’t have left the lid off. I’d have stuck it with the lid on still in the container in some boiling water and changed the water. Then I’d have tipped it in the saucepan and heated it slow. Til it was roasting. And everyone would be Fine. I’ve done it loads.

If you can cook frozen peas without defrosting, then cooking a nearly defrosted chilli is fine.

It sounds like it should have been fine, but if you need to defrost quicker you can pop the Tupperware in a sink filled with cold water Andrew that defrosts it quicker than sitting on the side (strange but true)

If you want to poison her, you’ll need something better than that.

Ourkidmolly, I frequently reheat like this and always find saucy dishes need some extra water as some of the existing liquid is lost during reheating

Yeah, I agree she's a drama llama.

Re-heating cooked rice is the biggest deal, but yours was freshly cooked.

@ourkidmolly without adding water, after 30 mins of cooking it would have stuck to the bottom of the pan and completely spoiled! The water evaporates during the cooking process anyway so no, it wasn’t watery at all by the time it was ready to eat.

Yeah the food poisoning bacteria only targeted your sister, why are you even listening to her stupidity?

90% of dinners in our house are freezer to microwave/oven, including meat.

Does she not cook frozen peas from frozen? Or does she defrost them first?

If the former (which she does of course) then that's all you did op!

Good to know that I’m not alone on this, haha. But next time I will cook straight from frozen rather than semi-defrosting on the counter, as that sounds like the better way to do it.

Sounds absolutely fine. I've left a pot of lamb or chicken curry on the counter overnight in winter to let the flavours develop.

Maybe they expected a freshly cooked meal?

I don’t think anyone can get food poisoning from this but to be honest if I invite someone to lunch I would prepare freshly cooked meal and I would expect the same if I am invited somewhere...

but to be honest if I invite someone to lunch I would prepare freshly cooked meal and I would expect the same if I am invited somewhere...

How precious are you?

I defrosted chili con carne in the microwave,scared to do it your way op, although it took ages and int he end there was one frozen lump which i just added to the saucepan. cooked it al through.
no ill effects.
i can understand your sister pov

I always freeze my meat because it kills much of the bacteria that is naturally present. And I cook from frozen whenever it is appropriate to do so. Your sister was rude and ill-informed.

If you want your frozen dinners to defrost quickly without any middle frozen lumps, put them in portion sized freezer bags but freeze them flattened out.

Saves loads of space too and makes them all really easy to find cos I write the label on the top flappy bit and restack to store them like index cards once they are frozen.

To heat, instead of a saucepan, use a lidded frying pan with a bit of water, takes the same time or less than cooking the rice or pasta.

They "dropped round for a quick lunch" not a three course meal 😂

QuantumPixies, I don’t consider myself precious but invitation for me (for quick lunch or three course meal) means freshly cooked meal.
If I can’t cook I will do takeaway and say in advance but I won’t serve defrosted meal simply because freshly cooked meal always tastes better.

To those saying veggie food is safer...

Yes, it is in general but beans are a common source of food poisoning apparently and kidney beans (the red ones used in chillis) are particularly dangerous.

It’s only a problem if using dried beans and you haven’t cooked them thoroughly enough.

Tinned beans are fine as they’ve been precooked

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/beware-of-the-beans-how-beans-can-be-a-surprising-source-of-food-poisoning-931862.html%3famp