Accidentally left cottage pies out overnight, will it be ok?

[PinkElephants356]

I made 4 cottage pies last night, they were finished by 9pm, I put lids on them and I’ve only just found them and they’ve gone in the freezer.

Ive done this before and they were OK but I’m so worried now because the mixture was cooling whilst I was cooking the potatoes so they weren’t that warm when I’d finished anyway.

After I left them to cool I forgot about them and never returned to the kitchen and of course husband went in to the kitchen several times after that but didn’t think to mention the cottage pies.

Will it be ok to eat?

They were in the kitchen, away from the radiator and the heating was off by about 10pm.

2 hours, wheres this bollocks from?

Yep. I'd eat them!

I am nearly 60, have left many things out over the years and never once had gastro.

As long as it’s cooked through you’ll be fine.

And cooking through will kill it.

Cooking won't kill all harmful germs

Sadly no. Yes bacteria are killed on first cooking at certain temperatures. But, if bacteria have since grown because they have been left out in too warm a room for too long, toxins will be present. And no amount of reheating will remove them.

Well it isn't bollocks, this is the official food standards agency guidelines.

I probably wouldn't , but that is only because I have worked in the food business and there are very strict rules about food prep and correct storage, I know more than I should. I expect most people would eat this though and would have no concerns at all, especially during the colder months.

Fine

I literally do stuff like this all the time. Casserole that is to hot to put in the fridge often goes in the freezer the next morning.

As you finished them late and woke up so early, I think they should be fine.

Presumably it's going in to a very hot oven to reheat. Defrost overnight in fridge and make sure the middle gets up to 75 degrees for a few minutes and it will be fine.

Beef/ lamb and potatoes? I’d risk it.

The only things I really wouldn’t risk would be chicken/pork/fish/rice.

What does it tell you that most people do stuff like this all the time and there aren't swathes of people ill everyday?

The food standard stuff is so OTT if you read the research properly. It's based on every worst case possible scenario.

Yes. Don’t give it another thought.