Margaret, Jennifer, & Rachel Share Their Thanksgiving Traditions, Recipes, & Tablescape Tips

As you can see in the video above, Housewives tend to go all out for the holidays. Of course, The Real Housewives of New Jersey cast members are no exception, often celebrating special occasions like Thanksgiving with jaw-dropping decor, incredible food spreads, and sweet traditions.

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While Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, and Rachel Fuda tend to give a peek inside their Thanksgivings on social media, they recently shared more details with BravoTV.com via email about the traditions, food, and decor that make each of their holidays so memorable.

Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, and Rachel Fuda reveal their Thanksgiving traditions

“My favorite tradition is actually waking up on [Thanksgiving] morning to a houseful of kids,” Margaret told BravoTV.com. “Everyone is home from school and home for the holiday, and I wake everyone up with my French toast casserole, and we sit and relax with breakfast before the cooking [and] catering crazy begins!”

Although Margaret loves that tradition, she also welcomes a holiday change-up. “One of my favorite memories is when the kids were younger, we broke from tradition, ate early, and then went to the movies for a family movie with three other families we were close friends with,” she shared. “The kids absolutely loved it!”

While Margaret’s first order of business on Thanksgiving is cooking a delicious breakfast, Rachel lets another family member take the lead in the kitchen. “Our tradition is going to my Mom’s house,” she wrote to BravoTV.com. “She always hosts Thanksgiving. It’s been her holiday forever! She’s the best cook in the family, so it makes sense. No one wants a turkey made by the Fudas, trust me!”

One of Jennifer’s beloved holiday moments each year also centers around food but takes place the night before Thanksgiving. “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is baking cookies with my kids on Thanksgiving Eve,” she shared. “I like to decorate my house for the holidays at least one week before Thanksgiving so that we can really feel the holiday spirit during our dinner. And my house looks like a mini winter wonderland [bursting] at the seams with Christmas decor.”

Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin share their tips for a beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape

Before digging into their delicious holiday meals, Margaret and Jennifer set their tables in the most stunning ways. “Before I was on Housewives, I would share my holiday tips and tricks on morning television as a lifestyle expert,” Margaret noted. “I love to do a different theme every year and I always personalize everyone’s place setting. It’s so important to me to set a scene for dinner and make it special. Get out the chargers, create a tablescape.”

“An easy trick,” she shared, “is to spray some pumpkins and gourds of all different shapes and sizes in metallic paint; silver, gold, rose gold, and use as centerpieces.”

Jennifer takes out some of her finest pieces for the holiday. “The key to a gorgeous tablescape is elegant white linens and beautiful china,” she explained. “Mine is white with a gold trim.” Additionally, she advised, “The turkey is the main event, so make sure it’s presentable.”

What Margaret Josephs, Jennifer Aydin, and Rachel Fuda eat on Thanksgiving

When it’s time to eat, Rachel noted her mom’s stuffing is her favorite dish. “She makes one in a traditional pan, but she also makes stuffing muffins so you get more of the crusty part on top,” she explained. “They are absolutely delicious!”

“My second favorite [Thanksgiving food] is the canned cranberry sauce,” she continued. “It’s so nostalgic for me.”

Margaret’s “favorite side for Thanksgiving” is her “corn crème brûlée pudding,” which she says is “a decadent, delicious treat.”

For dinner at Jennifer’s house with her “whole extended family,” the group eats “a traditional Thanksgiving dinner along with a few Turkish Staples, such as rice, grape leaves, and Kibe, which is kind of like an empanada,” she explained. Jennifer’s “favorite dish,” however, is candied yams, which she noted, “I only make on Thanksgiving.”

Here, get the recipes for Margaret’s corn crème brûlée and Jennifers candied yams.

Margaret Josephs’ corn crème brûlée recipe

Ingredients

2 ears sweet corn
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
8 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coarse sugar or raw sugar

Directions

Remove the husk from the ears of corn and cut the kernels off. In a nonstick saute pan melt the butter and saute the corn kernels until they cook and have a few brown specks on them.
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, and half the sauteed corn kernels over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until it comes to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse at least 15 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand blender until smooth.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in the hot cream mixture. Strain the mixture into a pitcher. Sprinkle the remaining corn kernels into 8 (6 to 8 ounce) ovenproof ramekins. Pour the cream/corn mixture into the bowls and arrange in a hot water bath. Bake at 300 degrees F, in the center of the oven until almost set but still a bit soft in the center, 30 to 40 minutes. The custard should “shimmy” a bit when you shake the pan; it will firm up more as it cools. Remove from the water bath and let cool 15 minutes. Tightly cover each bowl with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic does not touch the surface of the custard. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.)
Preheat a broiler to very hot (or fire up your kitchen torch). Uncover the chilled custards. Pour as much sugar as will fit onto the top of one of the custards. Pour off the excess sugar onto the next custard. Repeat until all the custards are coated. Discard any remaining sugar. Place the bowls on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and broil until the sugar is melted and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Or brown them with a blowtorch. Let cool 1 minute before serving.

Jennifer Aydin’s candied yams recipe