This Thanksgiving, be sure.

No matter how much planning you do, or how many delightful dishes you whip up for the big meal, if you haven't set aside enough time to cook the bird it's all for naught. Most Thanksgiving birds are big, and so they require more time than you might expect in the oven. While generally a bird cooks for about 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, there are a few factors that will alter that cooking time -- like whether the bird is stuffed or not, fresh or frozen.

We put together a handy dandy chart to help you out this holiday. Print it out and tape it to your fridge so that this Thanksgiving you can be sure of turkey greatness -- because nothing is worse than carving a bird that's not quite done.

(And great news for those of you who forgot to defrost your frozen turkey: According to the USDA, you can still roast it! It just takes a lot longer. Check out the times below.)

HuffPost Taste

Information gathered from the USDA food safety website.

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