The Reheating Mistake That Can Shatter Your Casserole Dishes

One of the great things about casseroles is how great they work as leftovers. You can easily store your casserole in the fridge and then put the dish into the oven when you're ready to reheat it and eat it again. The process is convenient and allows you to use fewer dishes. However, if you skip an important step in the reheating process, you could end up with a shattered glass dish and ruined dinner plans.

The reheating mistake that many people make is taking their glassware out of the cool air of the refrigerator and placing it directly into a hot oven. They are later greeted with cracks in their favorite casserole dish, or worse, the sound of the dish shattering. The good news is that avoiding an explosion in your oven couldn't be easier. All you have to do is allow your glassware to reach room temperature before reheating your casserole.

People are understandably shocked when glassware marked as oven-safe shatters during the cooking process. However, the problem comes not from the high temperature itself, but from a sudden and dramatic change in temperature. When you transport a casserole dish directly from the fridge to the oven, the high heat will place excessive strain on the chilled glass. This can cause the dish to crack or completely shatter.

While you should take care to avoid cold glass being exposed to high temperatures, the same is true with hot glass and cold temperatures. Once you take your dishware out of the oven, it's safer to place it on a towel rather than directly on a chilly countertop. Similarly, if you are baking a casserole in advance and saving it for later, do not transport the hot dish directly into the fridge. Allow it to reach room temperature first to help you continue to protect your glassware.

While you may be tempted to get that casserole dish into the oven as soon as possible when you're hungry and short on time, the best way around this this avoidable type of reheating mistake is to give your refrigerated glassware ample time to reach room temperature. After taking the dish out of the fridge, let it sit out on the countertop for 30-60 minutes. Once the glass has warmed up a bit, it can safely withstand the oven's high temperatures.

Letting your glassware reach room temperature might mean that you have to wait longer for your leftovers, but you'll never have to experience the shock of a shattered casserole dish. It only takes one moment of impatience to find yourself scraping food and shards of glass out of your oven. The extra time it takes for your casserole dish to warm up is worth having peace of mind that your leftovers and glassware are safe.