How long to cook a butterball turkey

voiding politics at the dinner table may seem like the most stressful part of Thanksgiving, but failing to properly cook the turkey could leave family and friends wondering if dinner will ever be served or even send them to the doctor.

Thanksgiving takes place on the fourth Thursday of November, and unlike other holidays that focus on presents, the festivities center on an integral part of American life: enjoying the holiday feast.

Menus vary based on the household's individual traditions, but families and friends usually gather around the table to enjoy stuffing, potatoes, green beans and, of course, turkey. Cooking the main dish isn't difficult, but it is important to do it properly, a task that requires planning ahead to accommodate the hours-long process.

Salmonella bacteria can exist on raw turkey, and eating undercooked meat from the bird can make people sick. After eating contaminated food, a person will develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps within eight to 72 hours, according to the Mayo Clinic. Fortunately, most people recover on their own within two to 10 days, but the symptoms can cause dehydration so severe that it requires medical attention.

Unlike Thanksgiving side dishes, which often have a one-size-fits-all cooking approach, ensuring that the turkey is thoroughly heated requires attention to the oven being used and the characteristics of the bird being prepared for the table.

Whether the turkey is fresh or recently thawed doesn't affect the cooking time, according to Butterball, but the oven type and whether the turkey is stuffed does. For a stuffed turkey being cooked in a regular oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, Butterball recommends the following cooking times:

The fan and exhaust in a convection oven allow hot air to surround the food so it cooks quicker than it would in a regular oven. When using a convection oven to cook a stuffed turkey (also at 325 degrees Fahrenheit), Butterball lists the cooking times as:

• 6-7 pounds: 2 - 2½ hours
• 7-10 pounds: 2½ - 3 hours
• 10-18 pounds: 3 - 3½ hours
• 18-22 pounds: 3½ - 4 hours
• 22-24 pounds: 4 - 4½ hours
• 24-30 pounds: 4½ - 5 hours

• 6-10 pounds: 1½ - 2 hours
• 10-18 pounds: 2 - 2½ hours
• 18-22 pounds: 2½ - 3 hours
• 22-24 pounds: 3 - 3½ hours