If you try this, it's important not to deviate from the directions (such as partially cooking the turkey and then letting it sit) and to promptly refrigerate leftovers after the meal, because other organisms, such as c. perfringens, can survive cooking and wreak havoc.

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO: Remove the plastic wrap from the frozen turkey. Place it in a shallow pan and cover with a foil tent. Put the frozen bird in the oven and turn the oven to 325 degrees. Using Brennand's cooking times per pound, I did the math and came up with the general cooking chart below.

10 pounds: 6 hours, 30 minutes

12 pounds: 7 hours, 24 minutes

14 pounds: 7 hours, 56 minutes

16 pounds: 8 hours, 32 minutes

18 pounds: 9 hours

As suggested above, use tongs to remove the giblets and neck about halfway through the cooking time.

During the last 15-30 minutes of cooking, remove the foil tent and turn the oven up to 400 degrees, so the turkey browns on top, said Brennand. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the bird reaches 170 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh.

If you still want to thaw your turkey but need the space in your fridge, here's a tip from one of our readers: Thaw it in an ice-packed picnic cooler. This reader wrote that she does it this way every year. Just make sure to replenish the ice so that the temperature stays below the safety zone of 40 degrees.

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E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com