In case you somehow missed the news, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged! She announced the news with an Instagram post on Tuesday, August 26. The sweet caption read, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married” and at the time of publication, it had racked up 31 million likes—making it the 19th most-liked Instagram post of all time.
So, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of people who are excited to congratulate Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on their engagement. I figured the best way we could celebrate over here at Taste of Home was to create the perfect menu for their engagement party—and go all-out on an elaborate 12-course menu.
A typical 12-course menu will include the following courses: hors d’oeuvre, amuse-bouche, soup, appetizer, salad, fish, first main course, palate cleanser, second main course, cheese course, dessert and mignardise. Mignardise is a French term for small dessert bites, typically served with after-dinner drinks to officially close the meal.
While it may seem like a lot of food, the portions can be kept relatively small as the chef guides diners through a single creative vision. In this case, it’s all about Taylor and Travis. Bon appétit!
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Cucumber Party Sandwiches Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Hors d’Oeuvres: Cucumber Sandwiches
As guests arrive to the party, they can enjoy a snack while they wait in line for the bar or to congratulate the couple. Cucumber sandwiches are light and tasty, and the green cucumber slice is a cute nod to the main color theme of Taylor Swift’s first album, Taylor Swift.
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Taste of Home
Amuse Bouche: Bacon-Wrapped Apricots
The sweet and savory combination of bacon-wrapped apricots is a great way to honor two ingredients that are great on their own, but that are also a perfect match together—much like our betrothed couple. Talk about a “Love Story.”
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Sweet Corn Soup Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Soup: Ohio Corn Soup
Travis Kelce was born in Westlake, Ohio, so I decided to see if there were any regional soup recipes for the area. A lot of people love Ohio corn soup, and I think this is a “Gorgeous” shout-out to the groom-to-be.
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Toasted Ravioli Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Appetizer: Toasted Ravioli
Sticking with the groom for another round, I chose toasted ravioli. Now, these are a regional specialty of St. Louis, not Kansas City, so “Don’t Blame Me” because I still felt like it was a great choice after the soup.
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Taste of Home
Salad: Spinach Salad with Raspberries
Taylor Swift mentioned in a Vogue interview that her favorite salad was one with raspberries and walnuts, so that’s what we’re sticking with for our salad course. The spinach is surely a “Delicate” base for sweet berries and crunchy nuts.
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Pan-Fried Breaded Trout Recipe photo by Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home
Fish: Pan-Fried Trout
Taylor once sang, “Take me to the lakes,” so I figured lake fish would be ideal for her fish course. I liked this particular pan-fried trout recipe submitted by a Taste of Home reader who created it with her husband during a summer getaway—feels like a good omen!
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Air-Fryer Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe photo by Taste of Home
First Main Course: Nashville Hot Chicken
Listen, Taylor Swift was discovered in Nashville, so it’s only right that the city’s most popular chicken dish made this menu. A main course of Nashville hot chicken is exciting, unexpected and sure to make “Sparks Fly”—much like the news of her engagement.
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Lemon Sorbet Recipe photo by Alejandro Monfort for Taste of Home
Palate Cleanser: Lemon Sorbet
After the intense spiciness of the Nashville hot chicken, it will be time to say “I Forgot That You Existed” to that course. Make sure your palate is “Clean” with a lemon sorbet to ensure palate “Happiness.”
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Susan Bronson for Taste of Home
Second Main Course: Ina Garten’s Beef Bourguignon
Now that we’ve had our palate cleanser, we can “Begin Again” with another main course. Taylor Swift once wrote a glowing tribute to Ina Garten in honor of the 20th anniversary of The Barefoot Contessa. “She made cooking feel like self-care,” Swift said. “Ever since, cooking has been my escape from stress and one of the only ways I can truly calm myself on a rough day. I’ll always be grateful to her for giving me that.” Naturally, one of Ina’s recipe had to make the meal, and what could be more celebratory than beef bourguignon?
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SUZAN NAJJAR FOR TASTE OF HOME
Cheese: Fruit and Cheese Board
“The Story of Us” isn’t ending anytime soon, because it’s time for the cheese course. By pairing a variety of cheeses with fruit and other fun add-ins like nuts and honey, you’ll be saying “I promise that you’ll never find another like brie.”
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Molly Allen for Taste of Home
Dessert: Chai Cookies
We had to use one of Taylor’s most famous recipes as the dessert. Her chai cookies have gone viral, and it seems that anyone who tries them becomes a chai cookie “Lover.” These cookies are indeed “Sweeter Than Fiction.”
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Taste of Home
Mignardise: Chocolate-Covered Cheese with Black Sea Salt
Now this has certainly been an extensive meal, so it’s time to “meet me at midnight” with this delicious course. There’s no better way to get “Closure” on a meal than with something as decadent as chocolate-covered cheese bites. Honestly, this entire meal was a fairytale.
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