6 Thanksgiving Disasters (And How To Avoid Them)

An illustration of a turkey encased in ice.

How To Thaw A Frozen Turkey Pronto1/6

When your bird is still frozen hours before you intend to say grace, all is not lost. At least not with these quick defrosting tricks.

An illustration of a cook attempting to fit a too-big turkey into a small oven.

Thanksgiving Disaster 2: The Bird’s Too Big for the Oven2/6

You know the rule: one pound of turkey per guest. But when your back-of-the-envelope calculations say you need a behemoth bird that the laws of physics say won't fit in the oven, what to do? We have answers.

An illustration of a cooked turkey with several thermometers in it and a frustrated cook.

Thanksgiving Disaster 3: The Bird’s Roasted—But Still Raw3/6

The pop-up timer popped. The skin's burnished. The drumstick jiggles. Yet when you commence carving, you still see oodles of pink. Here's how not to let that happen.

An illustration of a woman attempting to catch a whole turkey as it falls to the ground.

Thanksgiving Disaster 4: Transferring the Bird to…Oops!4/6

The bird may be done--whew!--but your work isn't. Here, foolproof tactics on how the heck to heft a sweaty hen from roasting pan to carving board without--oops!--incident.

An illustration of a cook standing at the stove surrounded by many dishes.

Thanksgiving Disaster 5: 1 Oven, 4 Burners, 124 Recipes5/6

Thanksgiving is easily the most denial-inducing menu you’ll contend with all year. But deal you must. Here, advice on how to elude oven overload.

An illustration of a woman with many small people climbing over her and the turkey and side dishes.

Thanksgiving Disaster 6: Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen!6/6

Offers of help aren’t always that helpful. We've got tricks to tuck up your sleeve for keeping pesky, well-intentioned, do-gooder guests out of your way.