Entire Casserole WASTED

Updated on August 05, 2012
L.N. asks from Fort Myers, FL
24 answers

Ugh I am so mad right now! My in laws are coming into town tomorrow so last night I made a double recipe of a casserole, so that tonight we could just have the leftover casserole, not worry at all about cooking, and focus on cleaning and getting the house ready after work. MY HUSBAND LEFT THE ENTIRE SECOND CASSEROLE OUT ALL NIGHT INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT IN THE FRIDGE and now it is ruined. Yes, I could hav put it away (and I'm mad at myself too) but he cleaned up and did dishes last night and he put it in a specific spot to cool before putting it away, then totally flaked. I know it was just an honest mistake but I am so mad! It's like he doesn't have the same priorities I do! I have been telling him all week we need to be cleaning after work to get ready for his parents being here and it's like all he cares about is the lawn (his obsession lately). He was even talking about starting a major landscaping project right before they get here and I was like Ummm no - you need to be helping me clean after work not installing plants. So now, tonight is our last night to get ready before they are here tomorrow and we will have to waste time making a whole new dinner or getting takeout. And I called him to talk about it this morning and it was like he could care less. I wasted my time, energy and our money last night making an extra casserole that is now in the garbage.

Anyway.....what food have you accidentally wasted lately and am I the only one who gets MAD about this type of thing????

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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

I can't even begin to list all the things I've accidentally ruined in my 50 years. I don't get mad because #1, it could have just as easily been me doing it and #2, that is a whole lot of emotional energy that could be put to much better use elsewhere. I feel like an ugly person inside when I get mad at someone for something that is to me minor.

3 moms found this helpful
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A.F.

answers from Fargo on

If it makes you feel any better, my friend's husband unplugged their freezer to fix a part, forgot to plug it back in and ruined, among other things, 70 pounds of beef.

2 moms found this helpful

M.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

I've forgotten large portions of leftovers overnight before. It's really disappointing and I am mad at myself for a bit but then I let it go.

If it makes you feel better, my DH rarely does the dishes and cleans up. He goes and plays with the kids while I do it, then complains I am not hanging out with the family LOL and there is no way I could get him to do much on the lines of a whole house company clean. He would mow the lawn and then prob start some big outdoor project.

Tomorrow - order pizza delivery
Today - breathe

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

And this is why God made pizza delivery!

8 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

It is really disappointing when this happens. but I am going to give you the silver lining in this whole debacle. YOUR HUSBAND CLEANED THE KITCHEN!!! sorry had to shout that. hoping my hubby would see it from across the room. Yes it was a pain. but in the long run he was helping you. Wanted to give you our way to have this not happen. when you are leaving something sit to cool before putting it in fridge set your oven timer to go off in an hour. that way it will cool down but you will have a reminder. have fun with your inlaws and remember they are coming to see your family not critique the food. order a pizza and enjoy the time with them.

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P.K.

answers from New York on

In the scheme of things not a biggie Let it go.

4 moms found this helpful
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J.S.

answers from Columbia on

No one will remember if the house is immaculate - only how they felt being there. :)

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J.S.

answers from Hartford on

Eh, it happens. I wouldn't blame your husband on this one. Frankly, you sound more stressed about the impending visit than you do about the casserole.

I also wouldn't assume that your husband couldn't care less simply because he's not sharing or showing your level of stress and anxiety. Do you really want him to be stressed out about the visit and housework while he's out of the house at work? What's he supposed to do about it while he's there anyway? Is he supposed to leave early?

I would adjust your plans and remember that whatever gets done gets done and the rest can wait. Your guests will be more interested in seeing you and your family and not giving you the white glove test when they walk in.

So tonight, tidy up what you can. If your husband wants the yard to look presentable, then let him tidy up the yard and help tidy the house when he's done. Order something to have it delivered for supper. If your kids can walk, let them help tidy up the house too. But whatever isn't perfect doesn't have to be perfect. It's not worth the stress.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

What was in that casserole? Filet and truffles? If that was the case, yup, I would be mad. Tuna noodle casserole that costs about $10 to make... nope. Not worth it at all.

We've both done that before. It happens, so no I don't get mad. Be happy that he did the dishes and mowed the lawn. How dirty is your house that you feel like you need to clean every night? I'm being serious here. As long as it's tidy, the bathroom that they will be using is CLEAN and there are fresh linens on their bed... relax. These are his parents and you want the house to look nice, but within an hour of them being there it will be back to "normal".

Why in the world would he want to hash this out again? It was a mistake. Like someone else said, order a pizza or some Chinese and forget about it.

My husband tore up our front steps the night before a dinner party at our house. Was I annoyed? Yes. Was it the end of the world? No.

He's not freaking out because he knows that this is not a big deal. If you want to "punish him"- call Merry Maids and hire a cleaning crew to come in tomorrow and scour you house from top-to-bottom. Pay them and then leave the bill on the table. It may help job his memory later OR he may decide that $20 an hour to have his wife CHILL OUT is totally worth it and you may just score yourself a housekeeper once a month!

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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

I hate wasting food. I hate wasting anything. I pride myself on doing a good job at managing the house, saving money to assist in our budget, cooking good food, etc. (Just the other day my 5 year old asked if I was still going to make "menus" when I go to heaven and I was like "What?" and he said "Well, you know, like if you go to heaven....will you still cook this for us, or do I need to learn your skills?")
THAT SAID: I've forgotten my chicken and rice dish (one of our favorites) in the crockpot because I set it aside to cool and had to throw it away the next morning. Two weeks ago, I made lovely ribeye steaks, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli....BOTH of us cleaned the kitchen TOGETHER, but I woke up to that extra steak I made (to slice up and make fajitas for lunch) sitting in a dish to put in the fridge....but sitting on the counter. Somehow the dish didn't get IN the fridge? And once, 4 years ago, I made a spinach artichoke dip that was supposed to be sit overnight in the fridge and I was taking it to a party and it was left out. I had to throw it away and make another appetizer for the party real quick.
Accidents happen. I agree with others who said you need to focus on the fact that your husband cleaned the kitchen! That's wonderful. And you would have been upset if he'd put the hot casserole in the fridge to mess up the temp in there, confusing your milk or whatever, right? I sometimes get a little aggravated if something isn't done right but then swallow it and think "Ya know? I could've made that mistake too....and I'm grateful my man helps me" because I know many more men who do NOT help in the kitchen than men who do. I totally understand (and think it was a good idea--kudos) making an extra dish yesterday so that you could just focus on cleaning and not worry about cooking this evening. What I suggest? Tonight could be a take out kind of night. Or a frozen whatever night. We don't eat out too often (I'm very watchful of our budget) and we don't eat frozen foods often, but sometimes a frozen pizza or lasagna, or take out Chinese or whatever, it's just fine. Yesterday I had a CRAZY busy day (3 appointments, among other things, and cleaning my house for guests coming today) and Jeremy called me at 5 and said "Hey---I'm leaving work soon. The weather's great, wanna hit the beach?" I told him I didn't have dinner cooked, but I was game if he was cool with take out. We blew off dinner and had a blast at the beach, and phoned my favorite mexican restaurant for to go orders on the way home.

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J.T.

answers from New York on

I do sometimes... like when I make 2 pounds of meatballs, with home made sauce as well. We have some for dinner and he tells me he will put the rest away when it cools a bit more (he goes to sleep much later than I do); then in the morning there they are on the counter, ready for the garbage. It then was just a huge waste of money and time, mine of course.

I get over it fairly quicky, because seriously staying mad does me no good. But I do have a good stomp around cyrsing him under m breath for being so incosiderate etc.

I myself have left stuff out too - container of cottage cheese, the butter etc. Nothing so dramatic or expensive as dinner though...

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D.F.

answers from Boston on

A home made sauce with meatball and ravioli's. It was so yummy and no one even ate it. I am done putting hours of work into a dinner. They went out to lunch and they were not hungry,(of course I was not asked to lunch!) So it stayed in the fridge for later. Later came no one ate it. I am still pissed.

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R.S.

answers from San Antonio on

First...just order pizza tonight...done and done with dinner...

I have found many a leftover left out over night and yes it totally sucks it was a whole freaking casserole. Gack!!

And I have a lawn husband too...they can get fixated on the outside "clean up and looking goodness" of what they consider their responsibility and the inside just isn't as important. Now mine wants it all looking good...but that is another post all together...

Take a deep breath and try and let it go....I know it is hard...like my whole pot of chicken tortilla soup (for us and to feed another family) hard...I seethed for hours over that whole pot of soup...

I am sending you a huge HUG!!! I hope your day gets better!!!

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

It happens.
And you feel just awful because you DID put time, effort, planning and resources into it.
And it was all for nothing.
There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.
(No matter how well you plan, things can still go wrong before you are finished.)
It wouldn't be such a common idiom if it didn't happen all the time.
Your husband was not as invested in it as you were, so it's easier for him to shrug it off.
Give yourself 10 minutes to be good and stomping mad - have a good sulk - and then let it go.
Because although you can't help getting mad for a bit, staying mad accomplishes nothing and just wastes your energy.
Put it behind you and move forward.
Take out it is!

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D.S.

answers from New York on

Wow!! I think I would just be grateful he cleaned up and did the dishes!! I think there is more going on here then him forgetting to put the leftovers away!!

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M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

That happens at our house more often than I like to think. It's okay, because everyone is busy and things get forgotten.

It's been a while since we have done this, but we both left a big pork shoulder out one time. I was unhappy because that was our quick and easy dinner the next day. Subway it was!!

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Yeah, that sucks.

BUT, it happened last night. It would be silly to let that color your day. Stomp your feet and let it go.

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S.K.

answers from Chicago on

Totally sounds like something my husband would do, I feel your pain. I absolutely would be mad, lots of frustration and some mad. I would know it was a mistake, but it is hard to just say "oh, well" to something like that, "try to remember next time dear" or "no problem I will just make something else" -- I don't think so. I would be even more upset if he did not seem to express any remorse or appear to understand what a pain in the a** that was for me.
I was at my SILs last weekend and we hard boiled some eggs to make deviled eggs. We put the cold water in the pot after they were done cooking then sat down for dinner, then did all sorts of other things, and forgot about the eggs til the next morning. At least that wasn't a whole lot of money or time invested, but frustrating none the less. And I couldn't even blame my husband for that one, he was 1500 miles away.

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K.S.

answers from Denver on

I hope you feel better seeing how many people have had similar things happen, myself included. It is so frustrating! My hubby can be pretty clueless about lots of stuff like this, as someone else said- he's not as invested as me. So I appreciate what he does do, and try to get over the rest and mostly plan to minimize the chances of it happening. And of course, I blow up from time to time as well.

I wonder if he didn't apologize or acknowledge how hard you worked to get ready for his parents. If so, let him know you just felt slighted, and that it's over now. I second the pizza order!!

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Well, does forgetting food, while you're SERVING it, count??

One of my first little dinner parties will never be forgotten. To keep the table setting "pretty", I served the meal in a smaller casserole dish, totalling forgetting to refill it. Once the gracious guests left (probably to dash off to get a real meal), my husband and I "found" the remaining entree, still warming and totally dried out, in the oven! Obviously I have forgiven myself, but never forgotten!

As to the bigger issue of many of us being detail-oriented and wanting things done, and many husbands being less into our visions, you have much company. Over the years, I am beginning to consider that my husband's attitude has merit. :)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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E.H.

answers from Houston on

I have done this a handful of times with tea. It always irritates me. lol But honestly its something so small in the scheme of things. Let it go, laugh it off, and order something special. Clean a little, and spend some down time with your husband before the family arrives. Men do have different priorities than women, and sometimes we have to pick our battles, and I honestly dont think casserole should be one of them. I hope my opinion doesnt offend you, its just that I use to get so upset about every little thing in my life and in my relationship when things didnt do according to my plans. I have learned to just let it go, and that sometimes everything gets turned upside down and all you can do is just hold his hand and say, this too shall pass. I hope you have a great time with your family, and now you even have a story to tell. God bless.

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J.F.

answers from Bloomington on

This has also happened to us. I HATE IT!!! All that time, effort, and money. Grrrr.

One of the tricks I've learned is to leave the light over the kitchen sink ON when I need to remember to go back in to take care of something.....put food away, run the dishwasher (the thing is so loud we wait till we go to bed), or if I need to do something else (take a pill). I never have that light on normally, so it helps me remember.

Pizza or take out will take care of dinner for tonight. Not ideal, but better than fixing another meal. Give the hubs an actual to-do list for tonight's marathon cleaning adventure. Give him a medal when he's done?!?! :)

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D.H.

answers from Miami on

My husband constantly forgets to put things back in the refrigerator. I get especially angry when it's organic eggs and/or milk that I've paid nearly $4 for. If it happened once or twice, that would be ok, but it's pretty frequent. I've asked him if we should just throw cash in the garbage. He seems sorry but still never remembers.

This is why we ar the superior sex :)

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N.C.

answers from Rockford on

I do it all the time...will leave it sitting on the stove to cool, then go to bed and forget, but realize it before I completely fall asleep! That really sucks!

I have a story for you (because yes, wasted food really upsets me!) Once a LONG time ago, I had made a huge, fully loaded taco pizza. Well, I usually bake the crust first, so the oven was good and hot, so as I went to re-load the pizza into the already hot oven, it slipped out of my hands and flipped upside down into the oven! I literally left it sitting there and walked out of the kitchen, I was so upset! I went and sat at the top of the steps and cried, while my hubs cleaned it up...and the crust was still ok and had enough meat and everything but cheese to make a new one. We went to the store and after fighting because I was being a big baby, we bought some cheese, made a new one and had taco pizza! LOL!

Let it go...it's done and you can't change it! Go clean something! hahaha! Enjoy your visit w/ the inlaws!

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