We talked to the Butterball Turkey Talk Line so you don’t have to

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - NOVEMBER 24: 3-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Jane Schuelke answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images) — DOWNERS GROVE, IL – NOVEMBER 24: 3-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Jane Schuelke answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

382202 03: Numerous home economists answer questions on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line November 20, 2000 in Downers Grove, IL. 48 professionally trained home economists and nutritionists give out turkey preparation tips, carving instructions, and thawing directions to nearly 170,000 callers each Thanksgiving season. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Newsmakers)

382202 07: Phyllis Larson, an 11-year veteran of the talk-line, answers questions on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line November 20, 2000 in Downers Grove, IL. 48 professionally trained home economists and nutritionists give out turkey preparation tips, carving instructions, and thawing directions to nearly 170,000 callers each Thanksgiving season. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Newsmakers)

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - NOVEMBER 24: 19-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line supervisor Dorothy Jones answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images) — DOWNERS GROVE, IL – NOVEMBER 24: 19-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line supervisor Dorothy Jones answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - NOVEMBER 24: 14-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist June Rollins answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images) — DOWNERS GROVE, IL – NOVEMBER 24: 14-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist June Rollins answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - NOVEMBER 24: 21-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Jan Allen, left, answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images) — DOWNERS GROVE, IL – NOVEMBER 24: 21-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Jan Allen, left, answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

382202 02: Pat Marvin, a 13-year veteran of the talk-line, answers questions on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line November 20, 2000 in Downers Grove, IL. 48 professionally trained home economists and nutritionists give out turkey preparation tips, carving instructions, and thawing directions to nearly 170,000 callers each Thanksgiving season. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Newsmakers)

DOWNERS GROVE, IL - NOVEMBER 24: 3-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Sylvia Klinger answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images) — DOWNERS GROVE, IL – NOVEMBER 24: 3-year-veteran Butterball Turkey Talk-Line home economist Sylvia Klinger answers questions on her telephone headset at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line headquarters November 24, 2003 in Downers Grove, Illinois. The Butterball Talk-Line was created to assist everyone from first-time cooks to seasoned chefs with preparing their holiday bird. Originally staffed with six home economists who responded to 11,000 phone calls in its first year alone, today the Talk-Line is staffed with nearly 50 home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. ConAgra Foods opened the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line in 1981. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

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For more than 40 years, the Butterball Turkey Talk Line has been answering phone calls from frantic would-be chefs on the precipice of disaster. But the truth is, the most common problem most cooks face is extremely fixable.

If you make a call to 1-800-Butterball, you might get your call answered by Sue Smith, who has been offering help and talking people through their problems for decades. The number one question she gets comes from someone who forgot to thaw their turkey. (Hopefully, reading this didn’t make you realize you forgot to do the same thing.)

“We get that. Life happens and you forgot to put it in your fridge early enough,” Smith said in a very reassuring tone. To speed up the thawing process, “you can soak your turkey in cold water,” she said.

Smith said you need to put your turkey breast down while it’s still in the wrapper to properly thaw the bird.

“It takes about 30 minutes per pound. Change that water every 30 minutes,” she said.

It’s what you’ll need to do if you haven’t thawed your turkey just yet.

“It takes one day for every four pounds of turkey to thaw. So it takes longer than we anticipate,” Smith said.

Once you get it in the oven, the most important thing you need is a meat thermometer.

“It’s your best friend on Thanksgiving Day, simply because it takes the guesswork out of knowing when this turkey is done,” said Smith.

You want the internal temperature to hit 165 degrees in the center of the meat. If you have stuffing inside the turkey, it also needs to get to 165 degrees.

Of course, if this article didn’t help, you can always call 1-800-Butterball, email or text an expert at 844-877-3456. Butterball also has an online chat option and videos with tips on thawing, carving and roasting the bird.

In addition, the turkey brand is teaming up with the mobile app Bumble For Friends, which conducted a survey that said a majority of respondents, including millennials, want to find new friends.

“So maybe you’re new to a city or you can’t fly home to be with your family or friends. You can try this app, make some new connections and still find your table at Thanksgiving this year,” said Smith.