Plays Well With Butter

unfussy and flavor-filled recipes.

for people who live to eat and love to cook, because every dinner deserves to be delicious.

A blue baking dish filled with cheesy enchiladas topped with white sauce and chopped herbs, sitting on a tiled table surrounded by bowls of guacamole, pico de gallo, and avocado slices.

Weeknight Recipes
A plate of creamy mashed potatoes topped with crispy roasted chicken thighs, caramelized lemon slices, garlic cloves, shallots, fresh thyme, and a creamy sauce, with a fork on the side.

Sunday Suppers
A close-up overhead shot of Hawaii-style kalbi with sliced cabbage, mac salad, kimchi and scoops of white rice on a white plate atop a white surface.

Hawaiian Recipes
An overhead shot of a serving of butternut squash orzo topped with grated parmesan in a dark green shallow bowl atop an off-white surface.

Fall Favorites

15 Minutes or Less

30 Minutes or Less

Side Dishes

Sauces & Marinades

Soups & Stews

Pasta Recipes

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what to eat in october

An overhead shot of an off-white stoneware bowl of pumpkin pasta alla vodka topped with sage leaves and parmesan atop a woven cream placemat. A gold fork and a second bowl of pasta sit beside it.

Pumpkin Pasta alla Vodka
An overhead shot of prepared fall panzanella salad on a white oval plate atop a textured beige surface. The tray sits alongside a golden cloth napkin, a jar of dressing, and glasses of white wine.

Fall Panzanella Salad with Squash and Focaccia Croutons
A bowl of creamy baked butternut risotto topped with shaved parmesan and fresh herbs sits on a green-patterned plate, next to a green napkin, a glass of white wine, and a small dish of cracked black pepper.

Hands-Free Baked Butternut Squash Risotto (No Stirring!)
An overhead shot of spiced apple crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside of a white bowl with a dainty brown pattern. A gold fork rests inside of the bowl and the bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface surrounded by two other servings of apple crisp in a brown and white bowls, a gray linen napkin, and a small white ceramic cup of masala chai tea.

Chai Spiced Apple Crisp
A smiling woman wearing a pink and white striped button-down shirt stands in a kitchen behind a cutting board with chopped vegetables.

The gal behind the blog hey there, I’m Jess!

I’m the flavor-obsessed founder and recipe developer behind Plays Well With Butter! My love of cooking was shaped by years working in fine-dining restaurants, and I’ve spent the past 10+ years exploring how to make exceptional food work for everyday life. Here on PWWB, you’ll find smart techniques and thoroughly tested recipes you’ll be excited to make again and again. So glad you’re here!

More About Me

Jess’s Favorites

An overhead shot of a small bowl of guacamole surrounded by tortilla chips on a parchment-lined plate atop a blue tiled surface. The plate is surrounded by lime wedges and halves and a small dish of tajin.

Guac Cart Guacamole (15 Minutes)
An overhead shot of a white soup bowl filled with Hearty Minestrone Soup with Sausage. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The soup has been garnished with parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. A plate full of pieces of crusty bread, silverware, another bowl filled with minestrone soup, loose fresh herbs, and a dark grey linen napkin surround the bowl of soup at center.

Bold and Hearty Minestrone Soup with Italian Sausage
A bowl of Thai red curry with chicken, colorful bell peppers, fresh herbs, and sliced red chili peppers served over white rice. Lime wedges and herbs are on the side.

Hands-Free Poached Red Curry Chicken Thighs
A bowl filled with spiced chicken fajitas, sliced red onions, bell peppers, black beans, corn, cilantro, rice, and creamy green sauce, with lime wedges and fresh herbs on the side.

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Reader favorites

An overhead shot of Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits in a black Staub cast iron skillet that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. One serving of the pot pie & one of the biscuits has been removed from the skillet. A gold spoon rests inside of the skillet. A blue and white striped linen napkin is tied around the skillet handle while sprigs of fresh thyme surround the skillet.

Easiest Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Herb Butter Biscuits
 48 reviews
Sweet & sour pork plated with white rice. The plate sits atop a light blue surface, next to a striped black linen, a small dish of thinly sliced green onion, & a second plate of sweet & sour pork.

Mom’s Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry
 24 reviews
An overhead shot of pasta bolognese in a large white bowl atop a white surface. The bowl sits alongside a second bowl of pasta and dishes of salt and red pepper flakes.

Truly, The Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce (Slowly Simmered Perfection)
 63 reviews
Three crispy black bean tacos rest atop a white ceramic plate. One of the tacos is torn in half. Taco toppings surround the tacos including lime wedges, guacamole, and pickled red onions. Loose cilantro leaves, and a blue and white striped linen napkin surround the plate while the plate sits atop a creamy white textured surface.

Crispy Black Bean Tacos
 71 reviews
More Reader Favorites
Spiral-bound cookbook titled A Taste of Hawaii at Home by Jess Larson, featuring a plate of grilled meat, rice, and macaroni salad on the cover.

Buy My Cookbook A Taste of Hawaiʻi at Home

This digital cookbook contains 35+ tried-and-true recipes cherished by my Hawaiian family to deliver the best taste of the islands, no matter where you live. Almost all these recipes come from my Hawaiian Grandpa Clarence, Japanese Grandma Marian, Auntie Allyson, and my Mom, Lori.

Buy Now

featured video Spicy Italian Sausage & Peppers Pasta

Restaurant-worthy flavor in just 30 minutes – one of my weeknight favorites!

Get the Recipe

30-Minute dinners

An overhead shot of a serving of spicy vodka pasta in a shallow white bowl on a white tablecloth. A second bowl of pasta, a side salad and a plate of garlic bread sit alongside the pasta.

25-Minute Spicy Pasta alla Vodka (From-Scratch & Fuss-Free!)
An overhead shot of teriyaki chicken garnished with sesame seeds and green onions on a white plate atop a white marbled surface. The plate is surrounded by dishes of rice, green onions, and teriyaki sauce.

Mom’s Sticky-Sweet Baked Teriyaki Chicken Thighs (30 Minutes)
An overhead shot of ground chicken taco salad on a blue and white patterned plate atop a white marbled surface. The plate is surrounded by a yellow cloth napkin and dishes of chipotle ranch dressing and lime wedges.

Go-To Weeknight Ground Chicken Taco Salad (30 Minutes)
An overhead shot of sliced chicken katsu on a light teal plate alongside a small dish of katsu sauce, mac salad and white rice. The plate sits on a light grey textured surface alongside a bowl of furikake.

Mom’s 25-Minute Crispy Chicken Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken Cutlets)
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restaurant-worthy pasta

Two servings of sausage and peppers pasta served in white bowls are garnished with grated parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and fresh chopped herbs. The bowls sit atop a white and gray marble surface with a blue and white striped linen napkin tucked underneath. Two metal forks and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with crushed red pepper flakes rest alongside the bowl at center.

Spicy Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
An overhead shot of pesto pasta topped with whipped ricotta and pine nuts in a large white bowl atop a white surface. A striped cloth and dishes of ricotta and fresh basil sit alongside the bowl.

Restaurant-Worthy Pesto Pasta with Whipped Ricotta
Braised Lamb Ragu Pappardelle shown in pasta bowls, topped with grated parmesan & fresh parsley. The bowls sit atop a light blue surface next to fresh herbs, 2 glasses of red wine & a grey striped linen napkin.

Slowly Braised Lamb Ragu
A slice of cheesy lasagna with visible layers of pasta, sauce, and cheese, garnished with fresh herbs, served on a white plate with a gold fork. Another slice is in the background.

Truly, the Best-Ever Lasagna Bolognese
A close-up overhead shot of a serving of chicken marsala with fettuccine in a white stoneware bowl atop a textured beige surface. A second bowl of pasta and small dishes of parsley and parmesan sit alongside the bowls.

Restaurant-Worthy Chicken Marsala Fettuccine with Mushrooms
An overhead shot of a serving of butternut squash orzo topped with grated parmesan in a dark green shallow bowl atop an off-white surface.

One-Pot Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Kale
More Pasta Recipes
An overhead shot of quinoa, arugula, pickled red onions, cucumber slices, roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, tahini sauce and lemon wedges in a shallow yellow bowl atop a light pink surface. The bowl is surrounded with a striped cloth and small bowls and dishes of pepper, lemon wedges, and tahini sauce.

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