Thawing a turkey might seem simple, but timing is everything when it comes to preparing a safe and stress-free Thanksgiving feast.

Learn the rules for safely thawing a frozen turkey depending on its size. According to the USDA, it's best to thaw frozen turkey 24 hours for every 4 pounds.

Cooking and entire turkey? Here are some free resources that can help beginners and experienced cooks as well.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Is your turkey out of the freezer yet? Depending on how big your turkey is, you may already be behind schedule.

Turkey still frozen? Here's how long it takes to thaw a turkey by the pound, and when to defrost in time for Thanksgiving,

Nobody wants to end up with a frozen bird on Thanksgiving. Learn how to defrost safely in the right amount of time.

The turkey experts at Butterball gave us all the pointers on the only way to thaw turkey for Thanksgiving. Bottom line: Don't wait until the last minute.

If you're a planner, you can thaw in the fridge: Allow for at least 24 hours for every four to five pounds with the refrigerator temperature set to 40 degrees or below. If you're short on time, try thawing in cold water: Allow for about 30 minutes per pound and change the water every 30 minutes.

Three houses on my street have already put out Christmas decorations, and I have yet to thaw my turkey for Thanksgiving. In ordinary times (and these days are most assuredly anything but ordinary), we would be spending our time debating oyster dressing over regular dressing and whether pumpkin pie is superior to sweet potato pie.