I’ll never forget the Thanksgiving when the turkey didn’t finish in time for dinner. As a professional recipe developer, I knew how long to cook a turkey, but my experience must have made me flippant.

It's basically impossible to do if you're just trying to eyeball it. Nearly all of your guests will bring a bigger appetite than usual, piling their plates with turkey and half a dozen side dishes.

It's Turkey Day, and you've been put in charge of the titular turkey. No pressure. Turkey is often thought of as the star of a Thanksgiving dinner, but it can also be notoriously difficult to get ...