So why isn't my frikkin' casserole cooked then? Help please!

[derah]

I made a lovely casserole for supper - veg and beans and stuff. It's been in the oven at 150 deg for 2 hours and the carrots, even the onions are still completely rock hard and uncooked.

I looked on the great cookery goddess Delia's website and it said casserole temperature should be 140 deg, and should take about 2 hours to cook.

I've turned it up to 180 deg now, but what are the odds that we'll get to eat it before tomorrow?

Help please!?!

Thermostat in your oven is f*cked?

150 is quite a low temp, though, so you might want to do it longer. Or buy a slow cooker.

I do sympathise -- our oven is completely f*cked, so have a casserole simmering on the hob even as we speak.

After a couple of hours it should be bubbling. If not, it's not hot enough.

It's a lovely new shiny oven, but granted I've never tried it at so low a temp before.

And here was I worried it would cook too quickly and all the liquid would be gone!

Grrrrrrrrr! Am hungry!

have you turned the oven on

I guess next time I'll check after half an hour or so that the darned thing is actually bubbling.

Thanks frogs!

bung it on the stove

Can my lovely Denby casserole dish go on the stove? I think they can in theory, but I'd be nervous it would go poof and I'd have a casserole flood in the kitchen.

What's 150 in real money? I put casseroles in the bottom oven of my aga (low temp) and leave them there for most of the day.

150's very low for a casserole, it would need all day. i do mine at 180 if i want them done in an afternoon.

Why oh why would Delia let me down [sobs]??

lol 'decant' it into a saucepan.

are you still waiting for it?

delia said 150? for two hours? blimey.

I do a Jamie beef one it takes between 3 and 4 hours on 160 - depending on the size of meat/veg

Was it hot or cold when you put it in? If you put a cold casserole into a cold oven it'll take at least half an hour just getting going.

I do a pork & veg one for 3 hrs, & that's when it goes in hot (everything sweated/browned on top first and with hot liquid) to an oven at c 180, although I turn it down at that point.

Thanks for the online support ladies. Another hour at 180 and all was well. We ate late but it was very tasty.

It went in cold, which was probably the main problem. Next time I'll start it at a higher temp and maybe put boiling water in. And I'll never trust Delia again!!

Thanks again!

150 should be OK, I casserole at Gas Mark 1 (which is 140 IIRC) but for 3 hours. You do need to get it to the boil on the hob before putting in oven though, and then check to see if bubbling away (I would check after 15 mins or so in the oven, if it's not bubbling then turn up the oven a bit). If I am intending to cook for shorter time at higher temp I par-boil the carrots before adding them. Have you got an oven thermometer? It may be that your oven thermostat isn't quite right.

oh don't pour boiling water in, it'll freak out the meat. just do the onions, brown the meat, take it out, start the veg, add meat again, bring to simmer and then put in oven.