Dorcas Lillian Bates Reilly (July 22, 1926 - October 15, 2018) was an American

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

and

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

. Reilly worked for several years in the

Campbell's Campbell Soup Company, doing business as Campbell's, is an American processed food and snack company. The company is most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products; however, through mergers and acquisitions, it has grown to become ...

Test Kitchen creating new recipes. She is best known for the creation of the

green bean casserole Green bean casserole is an American baked dish consisting primarily of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and Fried_onion#Crisp_fried_onions, french fried onions. It is a popular side dish for Thanksgiving dinners in the United States and has ...

. Reilly was called the "Grandmother of the Green Bean Bake."

Biography

Reilly was born Dorcas Lillian Bates in

Woodbury, New Jersey Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.

on July 22, 1926. She grew up in

Glassboro Glassboro is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 18,579, ...

and later in Camden. Reilly attended Camden High School, along with her future husband, Thomas H. Reilly. Dorcas Reilly went on to

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

where she earned a degree in

home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...

in 1947. She was one of the first members of her family to go to college. Reilly started working at the

Test Kitchen in 1949. She was one of the first full time employees in the department. and Reilly went on to become the supervisor in the home economics department. She also worked as a recipe developer. During her time at the test kitchen, she created hundreds of different recipes, including Campbell's tomato soup

meatloaf Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a baking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in a loaf pan. It ...

, a tuna-noodle casserole, types of

porcupine meatballs Porcupine meatballs are an American cuisine, American casserole dish of ground beef and rice meatballs cooked in tomato sauce. They were a staple during the Great Depression requiring only a few basic ingredients: ground beef, uncooked long-gra ...

, and the

Sloppy Joe A sloppy joe is a sandwich consisting of ground beef, onions, tomato sauce or ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun. There are several theories about the sandwich's origin. History Early and mid-20th c ...

"souperburger." She is best known for her creation of the

. In 1959, she married Thomas H. Reilly. Dorcas Reilly left the Campbell's Test Kitchen briefly to raise her children in 1961. She returned later to work as the manager of the Test Kitchen. During her time back at Campell's she was cited by the ''

Courier-Post The ''Courier-Post'' is a morning daily newspaper that serves South Jersey in the Delaware Valley. It is based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and serves most of Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties. The paper has 30,313 daily paid subscriber ...

'' as an expert in "cooking and entertaining." Reilly retired in 1988. In 2002, Reilly and Campbell's donated her recipe for green bean casserole to the

National Inventors Hall of Fame The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a U.S. patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also opera ...

. Reilly died on October 15, 2018, in Camden from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reilly, Dorcas 20th-century American inventors 1926 births 2018 deaths Camden High School (New Jersey) alumni Drexel University alumni Campbell Soup Company people People from Camden, New Jersey People from Glassboro, New Jersey People from Woodbury, New Jersey Women inventors Deaths from Alzheimer's disease 20th-century American women 21st-century American women