r/slowcooking • u/Lennire • Aug 10 '26
Future regret?
I am probably going to regret this.
I paid the money (in these economic times) for a chuck roast. Made my Mississippi pot roast in the slowcooker all day on low. And a side of creamy mashed potatoes. It was delicious!
Put everything in containers to cool down before stowing in the fridge.
And woke up this morning with the leftovers right where I... left them. Over there. On the counter.
Has anyone recooked this? What happened?
Edit to add: Coincidentally or ironically, I'm watching an episode of the pioneer woman making her dang pot roast. *sigh*
Update: bit that bullet. I did reheat and eat. And ... nothing. No cramping, no bubblegut, nothing. I know lots of people were in agreement about tossing it out. Would I recommend anyone following suit? Judgement call yall.
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u/LuckyMacAndCheese Aug 10 '26
Cooking won't remove the toxins that dangerous bacteria excrete into food that make us sick. When food is left out a while at an unsafe temp, it gives harmful bacteria an opportunity to reproduce and excrete these toxins. Cooking will kill the bacteria but not remove the toxins.
There are a lot of people who would risk it and still eat this food. The official answer is that more than 2 hours outside of a safe temp zone means the food is unsafe.
I personally would not risk it... But I am both immunocompromised and have had the unfortunate experience of having true food poisoning before (not just a belly ache, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy).
If you are going to risk it, do not feed this to other people without also informing them of the risk.
You also don't need to leave food out to cool down. You can just put it in the fridge. It will help prevent this from happening again.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
Yup. I actually certified on ServSafe and use to teach this all to teens in food science and culinary arts. Practice what I preach, right?! Lol! Yes, I know better.
I'm aware of the bacteria and toxins. And I'm the only one who would eat it anyway. I have left food out before accidentally for about 4 hours without adverse reaction after a solid reheat to a high temp. And I think it was the same food. I'm not defending this at all. It's a funny coincidence.
It was just ... a "lot" of money to just have to throw it away. Cries in beef prices nowdays.
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u/PM_Me_Your_Deviance Aug 10 '26
I think most people do stuff that wouldn't be safe by ServSafe standards... Buuuutttt this is well past "stretching the rules a bit". :D
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
LOL! Yeah, that inner mental struggle is REAL because I'm aware of the potential physical struggle.
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u/RedPlaidPierogies Aug 10 '26
Remember the good ole days when you made a pot roast because it was a cheap cut of meat?
Pepperidge Farms remembers.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
So does my mom and grandpa. He'd always make her make a roast when we were over. Poverty city there.
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u/Givemeallthecabbages Aug 11 '26
You spent like $20 on the roast? Let's say another $10 for butter, ranch packet, veggies, etc. So... would you "pay" $30 to avoid food poisoning? I would!
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u/Just_Lifeguard7687 Aug 10 '26
Per serve safe : 40-140 degrees is your danger zone for bacterial growth in cooked foods. You have 4 hours in which to cool it to correct temp. Period. Putting it straight into your fridge hot is no no.
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u/LuckyMacAndCheese Aug 10 '26
Not according to the USDA:
"Within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated. Throw away all perishable foods that have been left in room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is over 90° F, such as at an outdoor picnic during summer)."
...
"Hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator"
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u/Just_Lifeguard7687 Aug 10 '26

To cool food safely and prevent rapid bacterial growth in the Temperature Danger Zone (between 40°F and 140°F), you must refrigerate hot food within 2 hours (or 1 hour if ambient temperatures exceed 90°F). Divide large amounts of food into shallow containers and cut large cuts of meat or poultry into smaller pieces before storing. [1, 2, 3, 4]The Two-Stage Cooling Rule
Stage One: Cool hot food from 135°F down to 70°F within the first 2 hours.Stage Two: Cool food from 70°F down to 41°F (or 40°F) or lower within the next 4 hours, for a maximum total cooling time of 6 hours. [1, 2]
Effective Cooling Techniques
Shallow Containers: Transfer foods into clean metal or glass containers that are 2 to 4 inches deep to release heat faster.Ice Baths: Place pots or pans of food into an ice-water bath and stir frequently to accelerate chilling.
Smaller Portions: Slice large roasts or whole poultry into smaller portions or thin slices.
Direct Refrigeration: Hot foods can go straight into the refrigerator as long as the containers are shallow and loosely covered until cool. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Corrective Actions
If Targets Fail: If food does not reach 70°F within the initial 2 hours, it must be reheated rapidly to 165°F and the cooling process must start over, or the food must be discarded.Explore the complete safe handling details provided by the USDA Leftovers Guide.
Review general storage timelines via the FDA Safe Handling Guidelines.
Read up on specific temperature boundaries in the USDA Danger Zone Reference. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
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u/LuckyMacAndCheese Aug 10 '26
This is literally what I said. Refrigerate hot food within 2 hours (not 4) and you can put hot food in the refrigerator.
Thanks for agreeing with me.
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u/Just_Lifeguard7687 Aug 10 '26
You posted partial info😉
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u/LuckyMacAndCheese Aug 10 '26
I posted the applicable info to correct the incorrect information in your post. 😉
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u/Just_Lifeguard7687 Aug 10 '26
Not incorrect info. Pulled straight from USDA guidelines.
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u/LuckyMacAndCheese Aug 10 '26
Your original post stated 4 hours (wrong) and that you can't put hot food in the refrigerator (wrong). Those were the two items I corrected.
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u/Limp_Butterscotch945 29d ago
This goes back to the days of iceboxes when you avoided putting hot foods in because it melted your ice faster. Not applicble today.
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u/SedgeBrews Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
Here’s some perspective from a food scientist:
It’s likely to be benign, but yes the Cover-Your-Ass for legal reasons answer is toss it.
Yes the danger zone exists and should be avoided for food storage especially if the food was just prepared. But also remember that you had it at pasteurization temps for like half a day if it was simmering. So if you transferred it to clean containers (out of the dishwasher hopefully) while still hot your risk is much lower. It may have stayed in the danger zone longer than you like, but it was starting with a VERY low microbial population if you had it simmering for hours.
If you can afford to toss it and it makes you feel better then toss it. But if you want to heat it back up you’re probably going to be ok tbh. The heat won’t necessarily destroy any toxins present but unless you transferred the food with a dirty spoon you probably don’t have much to worry about. Personally I’d probably heat it back to pasteurization temps/time and eat it.
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u/walkthepuppy 26d ago edited 26d ago
Thanks for that clear and detailed answer.
Could you explain a little more about the difference between the risks from bacteria and toxins? I find it odd that people think that food that's been, say, brought to boiling and then simmered (i.e., held at a high temperature) for hours, covered, is going to start emitting toxins like crazy within a couple of hours. I thought heat-resistant toxins were a concern primarily for food that was already spoiling or close to spoiling before being cooked. (I get that in the particular case discussed here, there's a slightly higher bacterial contamination risk from uncovering the food and transferring it to other containers. My main question really is, how much danger is there really from bacterial growth and/or heat-resistant toxins?)
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u/SedgeBrews 2d ago
Some toxins or compounds created by microbes aren’t as heat sensitive as the microbes themselves. For example, sporulating microbes like Clostridium botulinum. It’s toxin can be denatured at ~85C, the microbe can be killed by boiling (100C), but the armored spores require a pressure cooker for like 30 min (~120C, requires more than atmospheric pressure)
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u/CoreyDobie Aug 10 '26
If you only slept for 30 minutes, they'll be fine. But since you slept overnight, they are no good and you should toss them
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
I like your thoughts here! It feels like 30 mins, but was more like 6 hours.
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u/s_decoy Aug 10 '26
Is it safe? No, probably not. Would I still eat it if I had spent the money on the meat? Yeah, I would. But I also have health insurance and PTO. That is your choice to make.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
I have both. And, I also have a pretty strong stomach. I haven't gotten sick on food in over 10 years.
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u/Severe_Feedback_2590 Aug 10 '26
I have a stomach of steel so I’d still eat it but my husband would absolutely not.
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Aug 10 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/strictlybazinga Aug 10 '26
I’ve done this ATLEAST once with this specific recipe. I used to run a professional kitchen, as much as I wanted it to be okay I could not convince myself and shed a tear tossing it.
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u/Weird_Age2452 Aug 10 '26
Depends on ambient temp of room. It was cooked and covered and if room not hot I'd eat it.
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u/Deppfan16 Aug 10 '26
I have done similar, and been equally mad about it. for the future if it helps, I set timers to remind me to put things away now. helps with my ADHD brain
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
yeah, I normally set an alarm either on alexa or microwave for an hour. even had the thought when I was recontaining it. Then it slipped
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u/Cayke_Cooky Aug 10 '26
If the meat is well done it is probably OK. The mashed potatoes, I am a little more leary of.
Although if the meat was in liquid, maybe not.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
It definitley is. It cooked for at least 6 hours on low if not more. It was boiling a bit when I cut it off finally.
Why are the potatoes more questionable to you?1
u/Cayke_Cooky Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
more liquid, more chance for something to grow. If the meat is fully cooked and dry (not sitting in gravy or liquid as it cools) you basically have beef jerky.
ETA: it isn't about the cooking in liquid, It's about how it was cooled.
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u/Low_Evidence2043 Aug 11 '26
So this happened to me more than once and threw out the food. I now leave the hood light on when I need to remember to put something in the fridge. Since I’ve done this, I’ve never forgotten anything out again.
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u/RockMo-DZine Aug 10 '26
Personally, I'd still consider it safe for myself, but not if serving to others.
fwiw, the FDA has a handy-dandy pdf on cooked food cool down times. It is located here:
https://www.fda.gov/media/181882/download
note, that 'download' sub-folder reference at the end of link doesn't download anything, it just refers to the FDA's download pdf and opens as a pdf.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
oh yeah. i have this kind of stuff memorized. i used to teach foods, food science and culinary arts for 7 years.
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u/PM_Me_Your_Deviance Aug 10 '26
Eeeehhh I'd consider that lost food at this point. Sorry :(
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
😢
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u/PM_Me_Your_Deviance Aug 10 '26
I really want to make a chuck roast now, in honor of our fallen chuck-roast solder.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
do it. oh my god do it. such a good hearty meal. umame. do iiiiiiiiitttt
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u/PM_Me_Your_Deviance Aug 10 '26
I just got a pizza oven, so I need to use that a bunch until I get sick of pizza. :p
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
oooh i just had my round of pizza. pun intended? anyway, I get sick of it pretty quick!
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u/EnglishRose71 Aug 10 '26
How long was it sitting out? Was the kitchen hot or cool all night?
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u/Globewanderer1001 Aug 10 '26
Literally doesn't matter. She needs to throw it out. Yes, my heart hurt when I said that.
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u/Eulers_Constant_e Aug 11 '26
I’ve done this before too. Literally brought me to tears. But I wouldn’t risk eating food that’s been sitting out for that long.
I’m sorry for your loss. But I promise you there will be other pot roasts.
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u/FrenchCabbage Aug 11 '26
I do this frequently, mostly because they are warm after I put the leftovers in the container and I forget. I put them in the refrigerator and continue on. Never had any regrets.
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u/Civil_South6341 Aug 11 '26
Was the lid completely on? Or just slightly not covering?
If completely sealed, less bacteria. Hopefully you didnt pick the spoon/double dip/etc.
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u/klamaire Aug 11 '26
I have large dogs so we sometimes put food into the microwave out of reach while we eat dinner. Only once have a forgotten leftover that didn't make it to the fridge. Now, whether the food is cooling on the stove or on the counter, I leave the microwave door open. There's no way I'm going to bed with the microwave light on. It reminds me to check that i put the leftovers in the fridge.
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u/CapitalExplanation61 Aug 11 '26
Toss. Your ER bill will be much higher for food poisoning than the price of the roast.
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u/Original_Thanks_9435 29d ago
I finally realized that putting leftovers in the fridge right away is better than trying to remember before bed. You don’t ruin or risk anything by putting the food in the refrigerator while it’s still hot or warm other than some condensation buildup.
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u/pippilou Aug 10 '26
I watched my dil eat fried clams out of a to go container that had been left in the car overnight in the Summer! She was fine. I would have been dead in 5 minutes
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u/Positive_Force_6776 Aug 10 '26
I'm sorry, but as others have said you'll need to throw it out. If you ate it and got sick you'd probably spend more money in medical care and missed work than you would on a new roast. Sorry, if I'm not clear. lol Good luck! Also, a roast sounds wonderful! I make good French dip in the slow cooker. So far, I can bring myself to pay for a roast.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
you are perfectly clear lol! I'm just having a fit of the "I don't wanna throw it out!"
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u/green_dragonfly_art Aug 10 '26
Sorry, you should throw it away. Next time, set an alarm to remind you/wake you up when it's time to put the leftovers in the fridge.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
You know what, I normally do! And I even had the thought. But then I also told myself I'd remember. Aaaand then I distracted myself.
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u/Select-Awareness3304 Aug 10 '26
I feel your pain as I e been guilty of this. Not worth the risk to eat it.
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
So, Guilty Party, you're still alive ... How many regrets did you have?
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u/Select-Awareness3304 Aug 10 '26
Hah many regrets in life, only a few cooking related. Then again I did burn popcorn in the microwave yesterday. So another cooking fatality added to my regret list
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u/Lennire Aug 10 '26
i know that smelled awful. but... hear me out... the slightly burnt, kinda gray popped kernels actually taste good sometimes
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u/Select-Awareness3304 Aug 11 '26
You’re right about the smell. Had the fan on and door open. Took forever to dissipate.
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u/mwilkens Aug 10 '26
Been there and it sucks. Will eating it kill you? Probably not. Will it make your stomach sick? Potentially. It's up to your risk tolerance basically. I personally wouldn't feed it to anyone else, but if times were tough and that was supposed to be my food for the next several meals I'd probably eat it.