Left beef casserole outside overnight 🙄

[Naughty1205]

Just a quick question: Can anyone can help. I cooked a beef casserole yesterday evening to eat today, as was trying to be super organised (that being my first mistake 🙄). I tried to cool it quickly before putting it in the fridge, by leaving it covered outside the back door, but only forgot to bloody bring it back inside until 7.30 this morning. Am fuming with myself. It's been in the fridge since, but after googling, it says to cool and refrigerate hot food within 2 hours or throw it out. I was just wondering if it would be best to get rid of it. It might be too risky? Thanks!

If the lid was still on I’d think it would be fine really. Where are you based? It was about 3/4 degrees where I am last night.

It'll be absolutely fine, do not worry in the slightest .Just make sure when reheating to bring it properly to the boil, don't just simmer on a low heat, but I would do that anyway. I often make things like that and leave them cooling in my kitchen overnight and that would be much warmer than outside.

Thanks, I'm in Dublin, don't think it was that cold last night here 🤔

I'd eat it! Beef should be fine.

It was thoroughly cooked. Where I live it’s below 7 degrees overnight, so fridge temperature!

It’s fine.

Food regulations protect populations from food poisoning where food is cooked and served in bulk and could make loads of people ill.
On an individual family basis, we didn’t have fridges until relatively recently.

I'd eat it.

I wouldn't eat it. As I'm vegan. 😄

But I'd not worry about it at all otherwise.

Thanks all. I appreciate the help. It was fully cooked, covered, etc, and as I would do normally, I will definitely be boiling the crap out of it! I wouldn't mind so much, but I went to extra trouble with real stock (broth) and red wine and loads of meat and veg. Let's see if we all survive tonight, then! 😬

Provided you can be confident no animals have been into it, it will be completely fine.

What a strange comment to make in a thread about meat.

OP I would eat it.

I've done it loads, as long as you make sure it is super hot when you cook it.

When we were kids mum used to make a massive pot of Irish stew and leave it on top of the cooker for days!

Don't you have to be careful of spider willies if you've left things out overnight?

I think you are lucky the local wildlife didn't find it and tuck in!

I'd totally eat it.

It'll be fine OH tends to leave the casserole in the oven overnight (switched off).

My only concern with this would be if the foxes had got into it, but so long as it was properly covered and there was no chance of that I'd eat it.

It will be fine! I'd have just left it in the kitchen overnight and put it in the fridge this morning. Just reheat as normal and enjoy!

1. You can’t boil out food poisoning
2. Why do does everyone need to specify to serve food hot? Are you all typically serving a lukewarm dinner? 🤢

Food standards advises fridges to be kept 5C and below, so if outdoors where you are was over that last night then there is a risk. Over 8C is considered to be that start of the 'danger zone', so if it temperature was over that then I personally would not risk it. It could be fine, but won't definitely be safe depending on overnight temperatures.

Outside sounds fine - if the wild-life didn't get it.

We do leave things in our kitchen overnight and cook them the next day.

(Our kitchen was originally the house pantry and was exactly where stews/soups/pork-pies etc were kept when there were no fridges. It is still unheated.)

• eat it. As I'm vegan. 😄 But I'd not worry about it at all otherwise.

What a strange comment to make in a thread about meat.

Not really vegetarians and vegans still have common sense. Of course the casserole can be eaten

Make if really hot. Stir once or twice.
Serve. Eat.
Stop worrying.

I leave all sorts occasionally, on my stove top, overnight including chicken casserole! .So long as adequately reheated, it’s perfectly ok.

Thanks everyone. No wildlife got into it, (hope that's not a reflection of its taste!). And i think it was below 5° last night in Dublin. Will report back tomorrow, all going well!

Have you got a food thermometer? I never thought I’d use one but it’s actually been great. You can check anything that’s been left in the wrong place. Obviously with common sense. It’s only the current temp, but you usually know.

Should be fine. It was overnight in February, not twelve hours of hot weather in the tropics.

It will be fine

@Naughty1205 it was 4 degrees when I was out walking my dog in Dublin this morning - which is the same temperature as some fridges! You'll be grand.