Having a hot and melty breakfast casserole ready for your crew before they head off to a long day of school makes them feel special in the very same way. Breakfast casseroles are so easy and so beloved it’s a no-brainer to do the work up front and enjoy the rewards all week long. Here are a few ways to pull it off for hectic school mornings:

Assemble the casserole the night before, wrap in foil, and refrigerate. Then bake in the morning (you might need to be an early riser to pull this one off). Pull the casserole from the fridge as the oven preheats so it doesn’t go in cold.Bake the casserole the night before, cool, refrigerate, and heat up portions as needed.Send your kid packing with a slice for a lunch to look forward to (my daughter, who’s not a morning person, much prefers this over having it for breakfast).

And can I just say the phrase “sending the kids off to school” this year makes me want to do backflips of joy? If you’re in the same spirit, celebrate with one of these tried-and-true crowd pleasers!