Don't Try This At Home

February 13, 2009 3:43 PM

Culinary emergency filter: I just spilled a cheese cassesrole onto the bottom of a heated oven. It's a mess. Help us clean the oven quickly and ressurect dinner.
posted by Xurando to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

I'd shut off the oven and open the door so it cools quickly. When you can comfortable scoop up the casserole, do so. I wouldn't bother to salvage much of the food as the bottom parts will have not only burned, but also picked up all the nasty crud in your oven. If you can just collect the upper levels of the food, you can probably eat that and not notice any problem.

When the oven is cool you can scrape the crustiness off with a metal spatula or dough blade and chuck everything into the trash.
posted by Science! at 4:00 PM on February 13, 2009

Let the oven cool down, then go to work on cleaning up the mess.

Order a pizza.
posted by nitsuj at 4:00 PM on February 13, 2009

Response by poster: We're eating anyway. We found two sites that said to pour salt over the bottom of the oven and cook away. I am dubious but hungry. Still open to suggestions.
posted by Xurando at 4:04 PM on February 13, 2009

If it's a gas oven and the burner's on the bottom, the bottom of the oven might have a removable tray that you can take out and scrub in the sink. Mine does, anyway.

I personally would have let the mess cool and would have tried to clean it then before adding a bunch of salt that'll also have to be cleaned up. But that's just me, and it's too late, and I hope that works for you.
posted by mudpuppie at 4:10 PM on February 13, 2009

Response by poster: Smoked alot at first but seems to be working. We did try to clean it but it was caked on. The story continues.
posted by Xurando at 4:20 PM on February 13, 2009

It's a little late now, but I have a very firm rule with myself: If I make a good faith effort to cook dinner and it just doesn't work out*, I get guilt-free take-out or delivery.

*Not working out can include but is not limited to: spilling a key portion of dinner, burning a key portion of dinner, realizing too late that a key unsubstitutable ingredient is not available, or cooking something new that sounded good and then discovering I don't actually like it.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:30 PM on February 13, 2009 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: The salt worked amazingly well. The hardened food turn black and wiped right off.
posted by Xurando at 4:56 PM on February 13, 2009 [2 favorites]

For later oven-cleaning, make a paste of baking soda and water and leave it on for at least an hour. Makes getting rid of all the burned-on gunk easier. :)
posted by Xianny at 4:57 PM on February 13, 2009