Christmas Breakfast Emergency!

December 25, 2012 8:35 AM

Can I Eat This Filter - Christmas Breakfast Emergency Edition: Last night I made a breakfast casserole that was supposed to cook overnight in the crock pot. I set it on low but forgot to plug it in. There's a dozen eggs in it. If I cook it this morning, will it poison us all?
posted by dchrssyr to food & drink (11 answers total)

If I were in your position, I'd throw it away and think of a plan B.
posted by wolfnote at 8:42 AM on December 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

I wouldn't chance it.
posted by susanaudrey at 8:47 AM on December 25, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cracked eggs are up there with milk and seafood in the "don't chance it" zone.
posted by griphus at 8:48 AM on December 25, 2012 [2 favorites]

The general rule of thumb is two hours out of the refrigerator. Overnight, serving to guests on Christmas morning? No way.
posted by eschatfische at 8:49 AM on December 25, 2012

From foodsafety.gov:

Note: Egg products, such as liquid or frozen egg substitute, are pasteurized, so it’s safe to use them in recipes that will be not be cooked. However, it’s best to use egg products in a recipe that will be cooked, especially if you are serving pregnant women, babies, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.


So I think this has more to do with the temperature they were at -- if you had the heat in the house turned down all night, and there were other cold ingredients in the mixture, it might be all right. I probably wouldn't risk it though, because you would need to be pretty lucky to get the right combination of factors for it to be 100% safe.
posted by DoubleLune at 8:55 AM on December 25, 2012

It's food. Just chuck it. Imagine the shame of being the person who gave everyone food poisoning on Xmas.
posted by Sternmeyer at 8:59 AM on December 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

Go to Denny's or something. You don't want a houseful of people with the egg shits.
posted by elizardbits at 9:32 AM on December 25, 2012 [6 favorites]

DoubleLune's quote from foodsafety.gov concerns "liquid or frozen egg substitute" which is pasteurized. The eggs you added are not pasteurized.
posted by sciencegeek at 10:20 AM on December 25, 2012 [3 favorites]

No one with central heating is ever likely to have the heat turned down enough to make your living space resemble a fridge. I've told the story before of the meat sandwiches left in a parking garage overnight in a Toronto December. That garage was a lot colder than even the coolest house, but the guy who ate the sandwiches still got very, very sick.
posted by maudlin at 10:21 AM on December 25, 2012

Err, yeah, I wouldn't risk it. Just go out to eat somewhere or have people eat oatmeal, toast, and simple stuff like that. You already have a house full of people. Do you want a house full of grumpy, sick people?
posted by krakus at 10:25 AM on December 25, 2012

Thanks guys. I figured it wasn't worth the risk. I also made homemade cinnamon rolls, so we're good. I'll throw it out after it finishes cooking so that it's not runny in the trash. Happy Holidays MeFi!
posted by dchrssyr at 11:05 AM on December 25, 2012