SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — The turkey is the centerpiece of the holiday meal during your Thanksgiving celebration. Don’t let the turkey become the centerpiece of everyone’s sickness because it was not prepared correctly.

Sue Smith is a turkey talk line expert with Butterball, LLC. She says the average turkey is around 14 to 16 pounds and your first step is to be sure the bird is completely thawed before any preparations.

You can speak with any of the many turkey talk experts at Butterball by calling 1-800-BUTTERBALL. Smith says there are a few common misconceptions when it comes to cooking a turkey.

You can even text the turkey talk experts like Sue Smith at 844-877-3456. And, there is more information, recipes and even a product line by visiting butterball.com.