Give Your Oven a Rest and Try These No-Bake Slow Cooker Recipes and a Fall Sneak Peek – The Morning Call

Even though we turn the corner to fall, the heat still lingers.

September is rarely chilly, so while we’re still in shorts and using the air conditioning, we need recipes that can help us beat the heat.

We asked for no-bake recipes a while ago and this week we’ll be sharing two, starting with this classic “grasshopper pie” from Carole Mebus of Raubsville (Williams Township.)

What you will need

1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (24 thin chocolate wafers)

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

32 large marshmallows

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 cup green mint cream

3 tablespoons of white cocoa cream

1 cup whipped cream (1/2 pint)

whipped cream and grated chocolate if desired

Combine breadcrumbs, sugar and melted butter or margarine. Press the bottom and sides of a nine-inch pie pan. Refrigerate while making the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine marshmallows and milk. Stir constantly over low heat until marshmallows melt. Refrigerate until thickened. Add the crème de menthe and crème de cacao. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff. Stir in marshmallow mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Refrigerate until firm. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

This no-bake recipe got me peanut butter.

“I have an amazing, and so easy, called Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie,” writes Christine Dakes of Allentown. “It’s always a big hit.”

What you will need:

1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

1 cup peanut butter

1 jar of Cool Whip

1-2 cups icing/powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 prepared pie crust (Graham crackers or Oreo)

Chocolate shavings or chocolate chips to sprinkle (optional)

Combine cream cheese, vanilla, and peanut butter in a large bowl and heat a little in the microwave to soften, then blend with a blender until smooth. Stir in Cool Whip and sugar alternately. Spread in the pie shell and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Note: Depending on how much sugar is in your peanut butter or how sweet your tooth is, you can add more sugar, up to a total of 2 cups depending on your taste.

Of course, your slow cooker is still a good kitchen tool to use to beat the heat. (And of course all year round, especially as fall approaches.)

Phyllis Ackerman of Red Hill, Montgomery County sent in this calico bean recipe, which she describes as her “all-time favorite slow cooker recipe.”

What you will need:

1 can of drained green beans

1 can butter beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can undrained pork and beans

3/4 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. Granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. ketchup

1 t. dry mustard

2 tb vinegar

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1 light. onion, chopped

In a large slow cooker, put the following: green beans, butter beans, kidney beans, and pork and beans. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, ketchup, dry mustard and vinegar. Then on the stove, brown the ground beef and bacon and brown the onion. Add these sautéed items to the bean mixture in the slow cooker.

Set the slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours. or high for 2 to 4 hours.

September is the time of year when we start seeing that truly must-have flavor: pumpkin spice.

I would love to get really tasty pumpkin spice recipes: from savory to sweet, pies to cookies. Email: [email protected]; include “Recipe Exchange” in the subject line and your name and hometown in the body of the email.