Sunday 12 April is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich day somewhere in the world. (Probably America, but to be honest it doesn’t really matter – here at Eat Out, we accept any and all excuses to eat grilled cheese sarmies.) To assist you in celebrating this auspicious occasion, chef David Williams of Montecasino dreams up three inspired grilled cheese variants. Ladies and gentlemen, start your grills.

Croque monsieur

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread
4 slices gypsy ham
4 slices of gruyère cheese

For the cheese sauce:
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
200 ml milk
50 gram Gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Toast the sourdough bread on both sides, layer two slices of ham and gruyere cheese then gratinate under the grill for 2 minutes or until melted. Spoon the cheese sauce on top and gratinate for a further 2 minutes to golden brown. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve.

Port and gorgonzola grilled cheese on rye

Ingredients
125 ml Port
200g crumbled gorgonzola
1 slice rye toast
4 sliced baby figs

Reduce about a cup of Port. Crumble gorgonzola into a bowl and pour over the Port. Mix well. Place mixture on a toasted piece of rye. Grill for a few minutes and add sliced baby figs.

Welsh rarebit on ciabatta with mature cheddar

Ingredients

2 slices ciabatta toast
chopped flat-leaf parsley
200g grated mature cheddar

For the sauce:
225g mature cheddar
1 tablespoon butter
2tsp Worcestershire sauce
2tsp flour
1tsp Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons beer

Mix the cheese, flour, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and butter together. Add the beer and heat gently over low heat. Grate mature cheddar cheese and place on top of ciabatta toast. Spoon over sauce and sprinkle some more grated mature cheddar. Grill and serve with the parsley.

Recipes by David Williams, head complex executive chef at Montecasino.