NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Because it's the holidays, many of us are already doing Thanksgiving meal prep. But the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging us to do this safely. We all have our own ways of thawing a turkey, but with recent outbreaks from contaminated meat this year, the USDA advises on using the safest methods to thaw a turkey. One of these methods is by storing your turkey one or two days in the refrigerator before you plan on cooking it. A rule of thumb is that for every four to five pounds of turkey, it should thaw for around 24 hours. Another method is to defrost the turkey in the microwave according to its weight. And finally, you can thaw your bird by submerging it in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes. And remember: cook the turkey immediately after it thaws!