Butler County Community College hospitality program student Savannah Neyman cuts up potatoes as hospitality management instructor and hospitality program coordinator Jennifer Taylor cuts mushrooms to prepare for Thanksgiving at the community college.

Choosing a turkey, buying items for side dishes and readying the table for guests are the easy parts of preparing a great holiday meal. Other parts are more challenging; for example, getting that turkey to the table.

While filling pumpkin pies, Savannah Neyman, a student in Butler County Community College's hospitality program, paused to talk turkey.

She said many people put their big bird on a counter to thaw.

“They shouldn't be doing that,” she said. Instead, they should allow enough time to thaw the turkey safely in the refrigerator.

“For every five pounds of turkey, thaw it for one day. So, for example, if you have a 20-pound turkey, it would take roughly four to five days to thaw out,” Neyman said.

“When thawing the turkey, put it on the bottom shelf,” said Jennifer Zellefrow, registered and licensed dietitian and food service director for the Moniteau School District.

She noted other thawing methods. “You can submerge the turkey in cold water and change the water every half-hour or, if it's a small enough turkey, you could do it in a microwave.”

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