Here's What The Yellowstone Cast Likes To Eat

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First and foremost, "Yellowstone" follows the familial drama that unfolds on Montana's fictional Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Sometimes, however, this drama plays second fiddle to what we'd argue is the show's unsung hero: food. With the Dutton family served regular rancher fare by their onsite cook, Chef Gator (played by the show's real on-set chef, Gabriel Guilbeau), there's a steady stream of hearty fare interspersed throughout the seasons of "Yellowstone," generating enough fanfare to even inspire a line of branded T.V. dinners.

But what happens when the cameras aren't rolling? From Kevin Costner to Wes Bentley and everyone in between, it's hard not to be curious whether the actors behind the Dutton clan enjoy hearty Western fare in real life as much as they do onscreen. With "Yellowstone" wrapping up its run on the Paramount Network in December 2024, its cast is no longer fed by Guilbeau on a daily basis. However, several stars definitely have the show to thank for introducing them to some of their favorite dishes. Here are some of the dishes the cast of "Yellowstone" actually enjoys eating in their post-ranch era.

Caffeine is a given on any film or T.V. set, but the "Yellowstone" cast seems to really love their coffee. Kevin Costner, the man behind Dutton patriarch John Dutton III, discovered his taste for caffeine relatively late in life. Nowadays, however, you can find him downing one big cup of coffee each morning in what the actor has described as his own private time. The actor seemingly has a sweet tooth, as this is sometimes accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream and is often tinged with a deep chocolate flavor. Costner even launched his own mocha blend with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in 2024.

He's not the only one fronting his own coffee. Co-star Cole Hauser, who played ranch hand, Rip Wheeler, launched Free Rein Coffee in 2023 after feeling inspired by Montana's cowboy culture. Coffee is more than just a side project for Hauser. He himself is a big fan of a dark roast, starting each day with three cups (yes, three) of his favorite Free Rein blend, American Dirt. In general, the "Yellowstone" set sounds like it was an extremely well-caffeinated place. Kelly Reilly — who starred as Hauser's onscreen wife, Beth Dutton — has revealed that she opts for a quick coffee fix to start each day, while Kayce Dutton actor Luke Grimes has also professed his love for a cup of joe.

While everybody is entitled to their culinary opinions, some truths are undeniable. For example, it's a cold, hard fact that New York produces the best bagels in the world (even if anyone who's tried a Montreal bagel may argue otherwise). Kelly Reilly may be a born and bred Brit, but splitting her time between the U.K. and her husband's native city seems to have given her plenty of appreciation for the Big Apple's bagels, which have established themselves as a fixture in her morning routine.

As she told The Telegraph, "I live in New York State, and the bagels here are incredible." The city may be known for its hefty, stacked bagel combos, but Reilly likes to keep things relatively simple and opts for a freshly baked, buttered bagel. This simplicity aligns with the rest of Reilly's wholesome routine. While she stresses that she's "no Gwyneth Paltrow," her non-filming days are well-balanced and involve prioritizing simple meals, waking up early, indulging in novels, and participating in plenty of physical activity, such as long dog walks, hiking, horse-riding, and yoga.

As John Dutton III, Kevin Costner tucked into a wide range of foods during his run on "Yellowstone." In reality, however, it turns out that the actor's appetites are a little bit less adventurous. Reflecting on the famous scene in which the deeply unimpressed Dutton is presented with octopus, "Yellowstone" chef Gabriel Guilbeau — who was tasked with rustling up food for roughly 300 people per day on the set – confirmed that you're unlikely to ever see Costner eat the dish of his own volition. As it turns out, the "Field of Dreams" star is actually a very picky eater who prefers simple foods.

Instead of chowing down on the likes of octopus, Costner's pre-"Yellowstone" years were apparently marked by hankerings for nostalgic fare like hot dogs. He's also apparently partial to canned chili, which we can only hope he used to its full advantage as a hot dog topping. While the actor himself hasn't owned up to his hot dog habit, he has been pictured eating them in the wild in the past. Admittedly, this was during an outing with three of his then-very young children — which, as any parent will tell you, doesn't exactly present many opportunities for healthy or sophisticated dining — but it still seems clear that Costner has a taste for the snack.

Catering for hundreds of people a day is no small feat, especially if some of that number are picky eaters. Fortunately, Chef Gabriel Guilbeau managed to find a few crowdpleasers, including his pineapple bourbon bread pudding. Made with cubed bread — preferably French bread — and a sweet sauce combining a whole cup of bourbon, brown sugar, cinnamon, pineapple, and vanilla, the dish is a decadent dessert that apparently proved to be a favorite with Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, and Cole Hauser in particular.

According to Guilbeau, adding bourbon to the recipe was actually a decision spurred on by the fact that extra bourbon was always lying around the "Yellowstone" set. However, he stresses that any kind of American whiskey will work in its place. The cast would apparently indulge in pineapple bourbon bread pudding around Costner's camp on set, with the actor's bus frequently parked next to Guilbeau's kitchen (meaning he could conveniently be one of the first to sniff out when Guilbeau started cooking). While you may not be able to enjoy your own pudding in the company of Costner himself, it's fortunately easy to indulge your sweet tooth in the same way as John Dutton III himself. Guilbeau's full pineapple bourbon bread pudding recipe is one of many featured in the show's official cookbook, "Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook."

As a nation, the U.S. eats a lot of beef. However, the meat is especially prominent in Montana's culinary culture, with the state renowned for its heavy red meat consumption. Unsurprisingly, it pops up pretty frequently on "Yellowstone," with the show even tackling some of the more specific dilemmas facing the meat and cattle ranching industries.

It also made regular appearances during meals on the set, with Chef Gabriel Guilbeau claiming to have cooked it nearly every single day. "It's almost a right of passage being part of the 'Yellowstone' cast and crew," he told The Pioneer Woman. "At some point, you've gotta eat a steak with your hands." For the record, he likes to cook his steaks with a sprinkle of sugar to create a layer of caramelization.

Even when not filming "Yellowstone," actor Luke Grimes is a big steak fan. Speaking to Men's Health in 2024, he confirmed that his death row meal would be a medium New York strip with baked potato, butter, and sour cream and a salad drizzled in ranch dressing. "I grew up eating a lot of red meat," Grimes said, explaining why his brief foray into veganism was a failure. "I grew up in Ohio, you know, steaks were the ideal meal."

While in character as Beth Dutton, you could often find Kelly Reilly puffing on cigarettes and drinking copious amounts of vodka. In reality, Reilly is a big believer in more wholesome habits, having detailed her own hatred of the herbal cigarettes she smokes onscreen and her love of physical activities like hiking and yoga.

She also starts each day by making juice, usually with turmeric and ginger. Reilly even prepares big batches to store in the fridge for the week. The same can't be said for her onscreen father, Kevin Costner. As the actor told Entertainment Weekly, he would actively reject healthy juices offered by his "The Highwaymen" co-star Woody Harrelson. "He'd always have a big jar of something green to drink, and he was always very quick to offer it to me," Costner recalled. "I would shake my head like a kid who didn't want to eat any more vegetables."

Healthy though her daily routine may be, Reilly does practice balance. One of her go-to vices is, like plenty of "Yellowstone" characters, whiskey. In 2024, she joined Ammunition Wines and Whiskey as a creative partner in an effort to find better ways to market the drink to women. "I know plenty of women who drink bourbon, and I imagine there would be a lot more if it was maybe presented in a way that would appeal to them," she explained to Good Housekeeping.

From eggs to Kraft's boxed macaroni and cheese, Luke Grimes has a long list of favorite foods. Tacos have earned a place of honor on this list, with Grimes claiming that hunting down the best of the best is one of his favorite activities while traveling. This love for tacos is something he shares with his onscreen spouse, Kelsey Asbille, who played Monica Long Dutton on "Yellowstone."

"Kelsey can eat whatever she wants and look amazing," he told Taste of Country in a joint interview where Asbille also revealed her go-to Taco Bell order. "The No. 3 combo is supreme," Asbille said. For those who aren't fluent in Taco Bell, that's the Burrito Supreme with a Crunchy Taco Supreme and a large fountain drink. Considering the fact that the show was filmed in pretty remote locations throughout Utah and Montana, with the latter taking over as the primary production point from season 4 onwards, we're not too sure how accessible Taco Bell was on the "Yellowstone" set. Montana itself is home to just 12 Taco Bell restaurants, making a DoorDash order pretty challenging in most parts of the state. Now that the show's wrapped, however, here's hoping Asbille can secure many more No. 3 combos in the future.

Kevin Costner may be a picky eater, but it seems like he has one heck of a sweet tooth. Chef Gabriel Guilbeau knows this better than almost anyone, having been responsible for meeting many of these cravings on set. In his experience, even when Costner claims to be on a diet or cutting back on sugar, he's always open to an apple pie.

Costner is loud and proud about his love for apple pie. While you'd expect a Hollywood star of his caliber to prefer the baked goods of an elusive top-tier bakery, it turns out that the "Yellowstone" lead has extremely specific — and affordable — tastes when it comes to dessert. "I love apple pies like Sara Lee or Marie Callender's," Costner previously told EatingWell. "Everything else is too gourmet for me."

It couldn't be more straightforward to recreate Costner's favorite sweet treat for yourself. While there are plenty of ways to make apple pie taste even better, he isn't particularly interested in trying them. Even ice cream is a no, with the actor claiming that he would rather add it to his coffee. He's also extremely against the idea of more creative additions, such as cheese. "I'd flick the cheese right off," he said. Costner is, it seems, a man of simple pleasures.

Maque choux is a staple in Cajun cuisine, drawing from both Creole and Native American traditional dishes. While spicy corn forms the basis of the dish, it's also mixed in with other flavorful additions such as peppers and onion. Gabriel Guilbeau, who is himself descended from generations of Cajun chefs, whipped up his own family recipe for the dish on the set of "Yellowstone," where it soon proved to be a fan favorite.

In Guilbeau's experience, the side dish requires fresh corn to really sing. In other words, this is one situation where canned corn just won't do. While making maque choux as fresh as possible involves shucking multiple ears of corn and creating a mighty mess in the process, it's worth it for the flavor. Like other meals whipped up on set, Guilbeau's family corn maque choux is featured in the official "Yellowstone" cookbook and requires the addition of tomatoes, jalapeños, and a decent amount of Cajun seasoning — not to mention the patience to caramelize corn for a full 30 minutes — to achieve total authenticity.

Whether it is canned, frozen, or fresh, any vegetable is better than no vegetable. Admittedly, there is something about über-fresh veggies that maximize the flavor factor. Kelly Reilly is clearly in agreement, as she has detailed making her own meals with vegetables grown in her own New York state garden. "We have a huge vegetable garden and I love working on it when I've got time off," the actress previously told The Telegraph while detailing her wholesome daily routine.

When she's not busy filming, Reilly often picks out her own butternut squash (which, yes, is technically a fruit) and roasts it with salt and pepper before pairing it with chicken and other veggies for dinner. Simple, yet delicious. Considering her proclivity for growing vegetables, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that Reilly also loves a salad. To be specific, a "big chuck-everything-in chopped salad." Assumedly, Reilly didn't have access to her own vegetable patch on the set of "Yellowstone," but we imagine there were plenty of tasty salads to dig into in between takes as Beth Dutton, too.

Taco Bell may be Kelsey Asbille's favorite fast food, but Chinese food is her go-to takeout order. The actress — whose full name is Kelsey Asbille Chow — is of Taiwanese, British, and Eastern Band Cherokee descent and has claimed that it's her comfort food after following around her grandmother as a child while she cooked. "My Ni Ni (grand-mother) lived next door and made us homemade Chinese food every Monday and Wednesday," she told Columbia Metropolitan. "When I was a kid, I would follow her around the kitchen and write down her recipes."

Today, Asbille admits that she isn't the best cook in the world, hence why she prefers to order takeout. However, she has previously claimed that she still likes to use these recipes for her grandmother's Northern Chinese home-cooked meals, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the rare occasion that Asbille does cook, one of her staples is a concoction that she once described to Esquire as "Church Lady Rice." This consists of mushrooms, canned soup, rice, and an indulgent helping of butter. "The best meal in town was always right after church," Asbille said, explaining the origins of the quirkily named dish. "My grandmother and her friends would make just the best spread in the whole world. So yeah, so I learned how to make this rice and it's honestly my party trick now."