There's a bit of pressure involved in being the chef in charge of cooking Thanksgiving turkey! You want to please everyone at your table, get the most impressive result, and honor your family's Thanksgiving traditions at the same time.

How do you accomplish all of this with one perfect bird? Generally, cooking a great turkey is about taking the best of the old and blending it with the new so that you end up with a moist, beautiful turkey that tastes wonderful and looks classic and traditional.

So... how do you begin? One word: planning!

Your Turkey Timeline

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner requires more than a little planning and preparation-- especially if you're going to be cooking Thanksgiving turkey. Read on for a loose schedule for planning Thanksgiving dinner-- and especially that almighty turkey.

Three Weeks Out: Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu

About three weeks ahead of time, you need to have your menu sorted out-- and especially the Thanksgiving turkey recipe you plan on using. Different recipes are going to be timed differently (thawing, brining, roasting, airing, etc.), so in order to know your schedule, you need to clearly know what turkey cooking method you plan to use.

It helps to have a few resources on hand to help you plan your recipes and shopping. You can find a lot of those here at Divine Dinner Party, including:

• Turkey Cooking Methods
• Turkey Thawing Times
• Thanksgiving Side Dishes
• Planning a First Thanksgiving
• Filling Your Thanksgiving with Tradition

Planning weeks in advance will also give you time to contact family and/or friends to see what they'd like to bring to round out the meal. Any food brought in by your guests is one less dish you'll have to make yourself-- and makes for a more affordable dinner, as well.

One Week Out: Buy Your Ingredients

If you're planning on cooking Thanksgiving turkey, you'll want to finish shopping for your dinner within seven days of the holiday. Unless, that is, you're buying a fresh turkey-- these shouldn't be purchased any more than 1-2 days ahead of time. You can buy a frozen turkey as far in advance as you like.

If this is your first time using a particular turkey cooking method, be sure to check you kitchen to see if you need any additional turkey cooking supplies, and be sure to pick them up.

One Week Out: Defrost Your Bird

If you'll be cooking Thanksgiving turkey from a frozen bird (especially if your frozen turkey is over 20 pounds) you'll also need as much as a week to defrost it safely in the refrigerator. Generally, a 20-24 pound turkey takes a minimum of 5 days to defrost in the fridge; smaller birds around 15 pounds require three and a half days on average.

Check here for specific instructions on thawing a turkey according to size and thawing method.

Two to Three Days Out: Brine Your Turkey

Plan on cooking Thanksgiving turkey with a brine? Great choice! Brines result in a moist, flavorful turkey. But they also require some extra time and space, so plan accordingly.

You'll also need a few days of extra time if you plan to make a dry-brined turkey, like this salt brined recipe I love so much.

One-to-Two Days Out: Start Your Prep

One to two days before your gathering start working on any side dishes that can be stored. Appetizer soups (like this wonderful garbanzo soup) and turkey stuffing in particular improve with one or two days to sit and integrate flavors. Casseroles like green bean casserole won't be harmed by one day of sitting in the fridge, either.

There will be more than enough activity on Thanksgiving Day to keep you busy so the more that's done now, the better.

It's Time! Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey

So you've got your recipe and started your prep... now Thanksgiving is here and you're ready to get started cooking Thanksgiving turkey. Here's how you go about it.

When to Start Cooking the Turkey

The time at which you begin cooking Thanksgiving turkey will depend heavily on how you're preparing it. Which is why deciding on your recipe ahead of time is so important! For instance:

• A deep fried turkey takes about an hour
• A plain roasted turkey can take 5-6 hours
• A stuffed roasted turkey can take 6-7 hours
• A smoked turkey can take up to 12 hours

There are also occasions when you'll oven roast a turkey at a higher temperature for more time, or slow roast a turkey for a different result. So when in doubt... just follow your turkey recipe!

Here, you'll find more information on turkey cooking times and deep fried turkey cooking times.

Seasoning the Turkey

You can generally season the turkey ahead of time, if you like. But if you have a Thanksgiving turkey recipe you're working from (We have a ton of turkey recipes here in our Guide to How to Cook a Turkey), follow the timing instructions of your recipe.

Generally, most recipes for cooking Thanksgiving turkey will have you season the bird after giving it good rinse under cold water and letting it dry (the bird can sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes safely). However, if you're looking to get a crisp skin, it's a good idea to let your turkey dry overnight to get the best result-- moisture gets in the way of crispness.

Check here for some great tips on cooking Thanksgiving turkey that's crisp, moist, and flavorful.

Roasting Your Turkey

By far the most popular and customary method of cooking Thanksgiving turkey is baking it in the oven in a roaster pan. When cooking Thanksgiving turkey in the roaster, you want to tent the bird with aluminum foil rather than covering it with the roaster top, as putting the top on the pan makes for more braising and steaming than roasting action. To get that great golden colored skin, simply remove the tent in the last thirty minutes of cooking, and be sure to baste the bird regularly.

You should have a turkey recipe that walks you through the process, letting you know when to cover or uncover the bird.

Hint: If you're pressed for time, an oven roasting bag speeds things a long a little bit, as does making sure your turkey is placed in the center of the oven.

When is Your Turkey Done?

Checking the temperature. Before serving, it's important to check the turkey for doneness. The interior of the turkey needs to reach a temperature of at least 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh.

Letting it rest. If the temperature is right, take out the bird, remove it to a platter while you make gravy, put the aluminum foil tent back in place, and let the turkey rest for about 25 minutes before carving.

And remember to set aside some of the wonderful crisp skin for yourself – after cooking Thanksgiving turkey, you definitely deserve a treat.