First Woman To Ever Make Green Bean Casserole Dead at 92
With the holidays right around the corner, your table is sure to be decked out with all the fixings including green bean casserole. But you may not know the woman that was behind this delightful inspiration.
Dorcas Reilly led the charge when it came to introducing the green bean, cream of mushroom soup and fried onion recipe, according to Campbell.
Reilly passed away on Oct. 15, 2018, at the age of 92 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
“Dorcas was an incredible woman, whose legacy will live on for years to come,” Campbell said in a company statement.
“She will be missed by her Campbell colleagues and all those who were impacted by her creativity and generous spirit.”
Reilly’s role in developing the holiday dish was unforgettable as it made its ways across tables all around the country.
According to Campbell, it was its most popular recipe made its corporate kitchen, receiving 2.7 million web visits during the 2017 holiday season alone.
The history of green bean casserole started with Reilly when she was serving as the manager of the Campbell’s Kitchen. She combined all the ingredients for an Associated Press feature, and the legendary casserole came to life.
The green bean casserole was not the only recipe to come from the hands of Reilly as she also created a tomato soup meatloaf, a tuna noodle casserole, and Sloppy Joe-like “souperburgers.”
The legendary recipe was donated to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2002.
You can still find this American staple on Campbell’s soup cans sold today. It is even featured in many of the company’s television commercials.
Reilly was a fixture at Campbell’s on and off from the late 1940s to 1988. She eventually retired as manager of the Campbell’s Kitchen.
Reilly was married to her husband, Thomas, for 59 years. She also had a son and daughter.
A service for the late green bean casserole inventor will be held in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
We will miss your Dorcas Reilly. You brought us a true holiday dish that we look forward to eating every year. Your memory will live on as green bean casseroles are passed around family tables for years to come.
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