Dorcas Reilly, inventor of the Green Bean Casserole, 1926 – 2018

Sad news in the food world this week.  The New York Times reported that Dorcas B. Reilly died on October 15 in Camden, New Jersey.

You probably never heard of Mrs. Reilly. We had not, either. But if you’ve ever been to a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner, you’ve probably eaten her most famous creation – the green bean casserole.

For many years, Dorcas worked in the Campbell’s Soup Company test kitchen. Her job was to create recipes that were printed on the labels of Campbell’s products. These recipes were easy to fix and used ingredients that were common in home kitchens of the time (and very often were made by Campbell’s).

In 1955, she developed the green bean casserole recipe, which was originally called “Green Bean Bake”. The casserole uses only six ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. 

Over the years, the green bean casserole has become an annual tradition in many American homes.  In a memorial message about Mrs. Reilly, Campbell’s Soup Company said the the green bean casserole would be enjoyed by more than 20 million American households this Thanksgiving.

In addition to the green bean casserole, Dorcas also created other perennial favorites, including tuna noodle casserole and “Sloppy Joes”.

Mary summed it up pretty well when she said, “Dorcas Reilly invented the green bean casserole, tuna noodle casserole and Sloppy Joes. That makes her the Julia Child of home economics!”

On Thanksgiving Day this year, we’ll be raising a can of cream of mushroom soup in honor of Dorcas Reilly.

The Recipe

From Campbell’s Soup Company – https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole/

• 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) Campbell’s (R)Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup or Campbell’s (R) Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 dash black pepper
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans
• 1 1/3 cups French’s (R) French Fried Onions

1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
3. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.