Dorcas Reilly facts for kids

Dorcas Lillian Bates Reilly (born July 22, 1926, died October 15, 2018) was an amazing American chef and inventor. She worked for many years at the Campbell's Test Kitchen. There, she created lots of new and yummy recipes. Dorcas Reilly is most famous for inventing the green bean casserole. People even called her the "Grandmother of the Green Bean Bake"!

Who Was Dorcas Reilly?

Dorcas Lillian Bates was born in Woodbury, New Jersey on July 22, 1926. She grew up in Glassboro and later in Camden. She went to Camden High School. Her future husband, Thomas H. Reilly, also went to the same school.

Her Education and Early Career

After high school, Dorcas went to Drexel University. She studied home economics and graduated in 1947. Home economics is a field that teaches about managing a home, cooking, and nutrition. Dorcas was one of the first people in her family to go to college.

In 1949, Dorcas Reilly started working at the Campbell's Test Kitchen. She was one of the first full-time employees in that department. She later became a supervisor in the home economics department. She also worked as a recipe developer.

Creating Famous Recipes

During her time at Campbell's, Dorcas Reilly created hundreds of different recipes. Some of these included:

• Campbell's tomato soup meatloaf
• A tuna-noodle casserole
• Different kinds of porcupine meatballs
• The "souperburger," which was a type of Sloppy Joe

But her most famous invention was the green bean casserole. This dish became a favorite for many families, especially during holidays.

Family Life and Retirement

In 1959, Dorcas married Thomas H. Reilly. She briefly left the Campbell's Test Kitchen in 1961 to raise her children. Later, she returned to Campbell's and became the manager of the Test Kitchen.

During her time back at Campbell's, a newspaper called the Courier-Post recognized her. They said she was an expert in "cooking and entertaining." Dorcas Reilly retired in 1988.

In 2002, Dorcas Reilly and Campbell's gave her original green bean casserole recipe to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This shows how important and popular her invention became!

Dorcas Reilly passed away on October 15, 2018, in Camden.