I just discovered that there’s a national grilled cheese month in April. Who would’ve thought it? Obviously a cheese board somewhere.

With the two simple core ingredients of bread and cheese, the grilled cheese sandwich innately lends itself to added bells and whistles: Meat, veggies, chocolate, fruit or even the kitchen sink if you feel so inclined.

Personally I don’t want to wait to have myself one of those ooey gooey melt in your mouth sandwiches. I took it upon myself (on my readers behalf, of course) to research the best of the best, over the top, can’t-wait-to-stuff-it-all-in-my-mouth-at-once grilled cheese delights.

Be warned, these are not your grandma’s grilled cheese sandwiches. All are gourmet and yet so simple that you’re going to want to try them all, just not all at once.

Golden Gate Grilled Cheese

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese

4 freshly cut slices from a sourdough loaf

6 ounces thinly sliced turkey

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 slices Muenster cheese

In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic and chili flakes. In a medium bowl, whisk egg and milk. Spread parmesan on a plate. In a large frying pan, melt half the seasoned butter over medium heat. Dip 1 bread slice in egg mixture, coating one side only. Dip coated side into parmesan. Place to one side in frying pan, cheese side down. Repeat with 1 of remaining bread slices. Arrange turkey, avocado, cilantro and Muenster on slices, dividing evenly. Dip remaining bread into egg and then into parmesan. Arrange on sandwiches, cheese side up, and cook over medium heat until undersides are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Lift sandwiches and add remaining butter to pan; flip and cook until second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes more.

Bacon Pear and Grilled Cheese

4 slices French or Italian loaf bread

4 slices bacon, cooked

1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced

2 slices provolone cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Place a slice of cheese on top of one of the slices of bread. Place a few slices of pear on top and then top with two strips of bacon and another slice of cheese, followed by the last slice of bread. Repeat with the second sandwich. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet and place both the sandwiches in the pan. Cook until the bread is golden. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Flip the sandwich over and cook until the bread is golden. Remove from the pan and serve. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Artichoke Grilled Cheese

4 slices of bread

Dijon mustard

Shredded cheddar cheese

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced

1 jar red peppers, drained and cut to fit bread slice

2 tablespoons butter

Spread the mustard on the bread. Place a handful of shredded cheese over the top of 2 slices of the bread. Place the artichoke hearts and red peppers over the cheese then top with the remaining 2 slices of bread. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet and cook until the side is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and carefully flip the sandwich. Cook until the second side is golden and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Serves 2.