27 Must-Have Items at a New England Saturday Night Franks and Beans Supper

Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England radio personality and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.

There's a lot that goes into a proper New England Saturday night franks and beans supper, yet, every one of these delicious items makes it that much better and more authentic.

Keep in mind, these feasts were not held 52 weeks a year. In fact, during the summer months they went away entirely. With everyone rushing around trying to enjoy the 12 weeks of decent weather that we get, who wants to heat up the house all day with a pot of beans in the middle of July?

Generally speaking, the Saturday evening franks and beans schedule mirrored the traditional school year. Also, during the big Holiday weekends, you weren't likely to get in on one of these feeds when there were turkey leftovers to be had.

If you are trying to comprehend how one person could fill a table with around 27 items every week, for about 8 months straight, I understand your confusion.

I was born in 1973 and for as long as I can remember, right up until the 21st Century, my Nana served at least twenty people with a breathtaking bean-centric buffet such as this, on most every Saturday night.

Don't let the size and scope of this lengthy list discourage or intimidate you. You are not expected to perform at the level of my Nana.

For beginners, I'd suggest making a pot of beans first and boil up some hot dogs. A scoop of store-bought cottage cheese and you'll be well on your way to enjoying a classic New England Saturday night tradition.