For passionate home cooks who refuse to settle for boring food, Plays Well With Butter creates smart recipes designed for real life – whether it’s a 20-minute sheet pan lifesaver on a busy Tuesday or a slow Sunday cooking project that makes you feel like a rockstar. Here, every meal aims to spark joy, foster connection, and provide comfort for food-obsessed people.
Since 2016, Plays Well With Butter has shared 550+ thoughtfully tested recipes rooted in a passion for bold flavor and seasonal ingredients. Every original recipe is developed by founder Jess Larson, and cross-tested across 3+ kitchens to deliver maximum flavor with zero wasted effort.
Millions of global readers turn to Plays Well With Butter for…
- Easy, flavorful weeknight recipes that never sacrifice speed for deliciousness.
- Comforting Sunday suppers that give you permission to have fun getting lost in the kitchen, while nourishing your body for the week ahead.
- Craveable pasta dishes inspired by Jess’s days working in a fine dining Italian restaurant, like her 5-star Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu and Truly, the Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce.
- Hawaiian and Local-Style Dishes passed down from Jess’s Native Hawaiian family and learned from a lifetime of travel to the islands.
You can browse the entire recipe collection in the Recipe Index, where you can filter by cooking time, dietary restrictions, season, occasion, and more!
Looking to collaborate?
Over the years, Plays Well With Butter has been featured in NPR, The Skimm, PureWow, The Pioneer Woman, Elle Magazine, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Brit.co, Yummly, Yahoo!, Country Living, Kare11, and more.
Plays Well With Butter has also partnered with major brands such as DeLallo, Bob’s Red Mill, Zwilling, Staub, Nielsen Massey, AllClad, Weber, and Hawaiian Airlines.
We’d love to partner with you, too! The CookIt Media talent management team supports Plays Well With Butter with brand partnerships, social media takeovers, and general digital marketing strategy. Contact us if you’re interested in collaborating on any of these initiatives.
Meet the PWWB Team
Plays Well with Butter is now a small but mighty team of flavor-obsessed foodies making the recipe magic happen.
Jess | Founder and Recipe Creator
Jess is the creator, voice, and primary recipe developer at PWWB. Her Midwest roots, Hawaiian family heritage, and general obsession with tacos and Italian food have set her on a lifelong quest to create the best-ever flavors in her Minneapolis kitchen. She’s fueled by iced coffee year-round and always has an epic TV drama on her watchlist. Learn more about Jess here.
✨ All-Time Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Slowly Braised Short Rib Ragu and Beer-Braised Carnitas
Emma | Digital Marketing Strategy Lead
Emma helps strengthen and evolve the strategies that drive long-term growth for PWWB by ensuring our efforts across channels are aligned, intentional, and performance-driven. When she’s home, she loves working on DIY projects and taking long walks with her two dogs. She’s also the PWWB team travelista, with recent trips to Tanzania, Ireland, and Scotland.
✨All-Time Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Skillet Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken Shawarma Hummus Bowls
Julie | Operations Coordinator
Julie supports operations across PWWB, keeping projects moving and team members aligned. She loves to take on a handful of creative projects at once, from cultivating native plants to abstract embroidery, and is always reading a little bit of everything.
✨Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Creamy Potato Soup and Vegetable Stir Fried Noodles
Erin | Former Operations Manager and Content Strategist
Erin’s innovative, strategic thinking helped execute the big ideas that laid the foundation for PWWB in its early days. She’s a proud Minnesotan who loves hockey, Tater Tot hotdish, and escaping to the lakes. She’s a firm believer that any time is the right time for ice cream (especially if it’s s’mores flavored!).
✨All-Time Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Parmesan Pistachio Crusted Chicken and Best-Ever Ricotta Meatballs
Lori | Recipe Developer and Best-Ever Mom
Lori is a retired elementary school librarian and now supports her daughter, Jess, with PWWB recipe testing and creation. You’ll taste elements of her Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Native Hawaiian heritage in lots of PWWB recipes! She has a no-fuss, quick and easy approach to cooking and loves to help Jess re-create nostalgic childhood dishes.
✨All-Time Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Best-Ever Guacamole and Hearty Minestrone Soup
Chris | Chief Taste-Tester and #1 Cheerleader
Chris has been with his wife, Jess, along every step of her food blogging journey. He’s tried every single recipe and is always ready to provide feedback, lend a supportive ear, or wash a pile of dishes at the end of a shoot day. His optimistic outlook, fun-loving personality, and constant encouragement have played a pivotal role in creating PWWB.
✨All-Time Fave PWWB recipes⇢ Best-Ever Grilled Buffalo Wings and Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
PBR, Bodie and Lilikoi | Clean-Up Crew
PBR (“Peeber”, dearly missed and forever Jess and Chris’ big guy), Bodie, and Lilikoi (“Lili”, the newest PWWB addition!) are always nearby, waiting for food scraps and begging to play. The pups frequently lurk in the background of photo shoots and love to snuggle at the end of a long day on their feet in the kitchen.
✨All-Time Fave PWWB recipes ⇢ Grilled Peppers and Grilled Sweet Potatoes
