The easiest slow cooker recipes ever by the best-selling author of  Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Stephanie O’Dea,  New York Times  best-selling author of  Make It Fast, Cook It Slow  and  365 Slow Cooker Suppers , is back with her easiest assortment of recipes ever in  Five Ingredients or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook . Just because these recipes are a breeze to throw together doesn’t mean they’re lacking in flavor or creativity. O’Dea knows how to make standard slow-cooker fare delectable, with recipes like Pulled Pork Jalapeño Dip, Pureed Pumpkin Soup, and Cornbread Casserole, while also providing plenty of unexpected slow-cooker dishes like Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi, Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta, Flan, and Cheesecake. There is also a whole chapter for vegetarian meals, as well as gluten-free options for every recipe in the book. And she does it all with five ingredients or less! STEPHANIE O’DEA is a New York Times best-selling author and award-winning blogger who has been featured on Rachael Ray and Good Morning America . Her websites currently garner over a million hits a month, and she has more than 60,000 email subscribers. 5 Ingredients or Less Slow Cooker Cookbook By Stephanie O'Dea, Tara Donne Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Copyright © 2015 Stephanie O'Dea All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-544-28422-7 Contents Acknowledgments, Introduction, Beverages, Appetizers, Breakfast, Soups and Stews, Side Dishes, Beans, Pasta and Casseroles, Meatless Mains, Fish and Seafood, Poultry, Beef and Lamb, Pork, Dessert, Index, CHAPTER 1 Beverages Apple Cider Rum Punch Cranberry Punch Caramel Latte English Christmas Punch Hot Toddy Mulled Pumpkin Cider Mulled Wine Party Punch for Twenty Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate Red Velvet Hot Chocolate Semisweet Hot Chocolate Spiced Rum Punch Spiked Hot Apple Pie Apple Cider Rum Punch Serves 10 8 cups apple cider 2 cups dark rum 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 8 whole cloves 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the apple cider and rum to the insert. Using a bit of cheesecloth or a few loose tea holders, make a little packet with the sliced ginger, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Plop the cheesecloth bundle or filled tea holders into the slow cooker. (This is not absolutely necessary, but will ease serving.) Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours or on High for about 2 hours. Remove the spices and serve. The Verdict This isn't a drink for the faint of heart. It's definitely quite rummy, but I wanted to try it because I like the scene from Mary Poppins where she sips her "Spoonful of Sugar" medicine and then hiccups, declaring that it tastes like rum punch. It's delightful! Cranberry Punch Serves 10 4 cups cranberry juice or cranberry cocktail 4 cups pineapple juice 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon whole cloves 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 1 cup water Use a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker. Add the juices to the insert, and then stir in the brown sugar. Float the cloves and cinnamon sticks on top, and add the water. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours or on High for about 2 hours. Serve hot right out of the crock, or at room temperature. The Verdict I like getting this drink super-hot in the slow cooker to combine flavors and melt the brown sugar, but it's best when cooled to room temperature. This recipe comes from all free slow cooker recipes.com, a great online resource to which I contribute. Caramel Latte Serves 8 2 cups milk (any variety) 2 cups half-and-half ½ cup prepared caramel sauce 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 4 cups brewed strong coffee or espresso   Sweetened whipped cream (optional) Use a 2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Add the milk, half-and-half, caramel sauce, and brown sugar to the insert, and then stir in the coffee. Cook on High for 1 hour or on Low for about 2 hours. The latte can stay on the Warm setting for up to 6 hours. Stir before serving, and add a dollop of whipped cream on top if desired. The Verdict I always forget to plug in the coffee pot when we're entertaining, which is why I love having a ready-to-go after-dinner drink simmering away in the slow cooker. Guests can serve themselves when they are ready for a bit of caffeine, and I don't have to rush around at the end of a great meal. English Christmas Punch Serves 14 to 16 1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon) 1 (750 ml) bottle dark rum 3 cups extra-strong brewed tea 2 cups white granulated sugar 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges) Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Add all of the ingredients to the insert, and then stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for about 2 hours. When the drink is nice and hot, serve in a small teacup, garnished with a cinnamon stick, if desired. This drink can be kept on the Warm setting of the slow cooker throughout the day. The Verdict Bernice, a reader from Canada, wrote in and said tha