Today, green bean casserole is one of the most famous Thanksgiving dishes in America and while there are many variations of the dish, the woman who invented the dish had ties to Philadelphia, writes Eric Kim for The New York Times.

Her name was Dorcas B. Reilly. 

In 1955, while working at the Campbell Soup Company test kitchen in Camden, New Jersey, she and her team invented the dish.

Originally called Green Bean Bake, the dish comprised of six ingredients: canned cream of mushroom soup, milk, green beans, French-fried onions, black pepper, and soy sauce. The latter ingredient was Reilly’s contribution. However, she did far more.

Food historian Laura Shapiro classified Reilly as an innovator.

“Nobody had added the onion rings to the casserole before she did,” said Shapiro. 

Prior to joining Campbell, Reilly studied home economics at the Drexel Institute of Technology (now Drexel University)in Philadelphia, and also worked for Philadelphia Electric Company (now PECO) for a couple of years.

Reilly passed away in 2018. However, her memory remains as the dish continues its popularity. 

The original recipe card for the green bean casserole is also in the collection of the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Virginia.

Read more about the woman responsible for bringing the delicious green bean casserole into our lives at The New York Times. 

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