Short ribs work well. Muir Glen fire roasted tomatos, a little red wine and short ribs. Sometimes an onion.

Lamb shanks are especially wonderful in a slow cooker. I also add a cup of lentils at the bottom because I think there is nothing better than lentils cooked in lamb fat.

Think braises. I get lots of ideas from Molly Stevens and adapt them to the slow cooker.

The Slow Cooker Revolution recipes do not, ime, require an hour of prep. When are you trying to get it done? I brown meat, etc. while cleaning up the kitchen. NBD. You can also do the prep on the weekend while making a big family meal.

I'm a food snob but I do like Paula Deen's taco soup recipe in the crockpot.

I do a beef stew in our slow cooker. It's a bit of work at the beginning because I coat the meat cubes in seasoned flour, then brown in oil on the slow. The rest is simple though:

dump the browned beef cubes into the crockpot with 1 cup beef broth, 1 cup red wine, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Add sliced raw onions, potatoes, celery and carrots. Simmer all day and serve.