Charlotte restaurant Fine & Fettle prides itself on the use of locally-sourced and sustainable foods on its innovative menu. Located in the Canopy by Hilton in Charlotte, Chef Daniel Wheeler creates memorable dishes that give guests and diners an elevated taste of the South, while showcasing the considerable variety of foods grown in the state.
While Wheeler was born in California, he grew up in North Carolina and those early food influences can be found on such menu items as the Fettle Sliders with pickled green tomatoes, Fried Hen Sandwich dressed with a Cheerwine hot sauce or a Farmers Market Sandwich, with a changing selection of locally sourced produce.
In sharing a favorite recipe, Wheeler kept it traditionally Southern and local with his Sweet Potato Casserole. Many people may not know that North Carolina leads the nation in sweet potato production, growing nearly 60 percent of the nation’s crop. That means sweet potatoes can easily be found year-round in grocery stores and farmers market.
Thanks Chef Wheeler for sharing this holiday classic!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole
• Ingredients:
Casserole:
— 4 cups sweet potato cubed
— ½ cup sorghum syrup
— 2 eggs beaten
— ½ teaspoon kosher salt
— 4 tablespoons butter, softened
— ½ cup whole milk
— ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
— ½ cup packed brown sugar
— 1/3 cup all purpose flour
— 3 tablespoons butter softened
— ½ cup chopped pecans
• Instructions:
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place sweet potato in medium saucepan and cover with water.
- Cook over medium high heat until tender and drain.
- In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes, sorghum, vanilla, eggs, milk, butter and salt until smooth and pour into a 9×13 baking dish.
- In another bowl, mix together brown sugar and flower, cut in butter until mixture is course.
- Stir in the pecans and sprinkle mixture over sweet potato.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the topping is lightly brown.