You have probably heard the name of the fourth Earl of Sandwich (born John Montagu), the British statesman who gave his name to our favourite lunchtime staple.  He may not have been the first to eat meat between two slices of bread. In fact, Arabs had already started stuffing meat inside pita bread, centuries before the Earl came up with his delicious snack. According to one account, on Nov. 3, 1762, the Earl was deep into a marathon poker game and couldn’t be bothered to leave the gaming table for dinner. As a solution, he asked a servant to bring him a piece of meat, stuffed between two slices of toast so he wouldn’t smear food on his cards and so the idea of a sandwich was born. I’ve had many requests for new sandwich fillings so I’ve done a bit of research and pulled together some ideas. This list is by no means definitive but you might get a new sandwich idea that your child will eat.

There is an abundance of different types of bread available so experiment with various varieties such as pittas, bagels, ciabatta, baguettes and breads made with different types of flour, such as spelt or sourdough. If your school does not have a nut ban try the classic peanut and jelly combination. Use jam if you are not stateside! Ham – wafer thin or home baked –roast a piece of unsmoked gammon in a can of cider just as you would for a traditional Sunday lunch.

Ham and cheese croissant with grainy mustard – vary the normal cheese you use for a different taste. Ham, cream cheese, sliced tomato and salad with mayonnaise Egg salad Egg and tomato Egg and bacon – great in a roll BLT – bacon lettuce and tomato BLT with cheese – use your favourite Tuna and mayo. Add grated carrot and finely sliced spring onion for a different twist on a classic Tuna and sweet corn Tuna, Tomato and Mozzarella Quesadilla.

Make your sandwich using two tortillas, Fry on a pan brushed with olive oil over a low heat turning once until golden and cheese is melted. Cool before wrapping Sardines and cream cheese with grated cucumber and spring onion. Make sure you drain the sardines and finely chop the onion. Make the mixture well the night before to avoid soggy sandwiches.

Prawn cocktail –prawns with mayonnaise and a little ketchup to create the Marie Rosé sauce. This is good served on the side with a couple of sliced of brown bread. Smoked salmon and cream cheese on a toasted bagel. Fresh salmon and pesto and cucumber Chicken and coleslaw Chicken fajita with cheese, tomato and lettuce. See last week’s post.

Chicken and avocado– make sure to douse the avocado slices liberally in lemon/lime juice to prevent it going brown. Roast Chicken and avocado salad. Dice the chicken and the avocado. Add lemon juice and mayonnaise and season. Include lettuce, watercress or rocket leaves if liked. Chicken and guacamole: a spicier version of the above. Chicken Club sandwich – Barbecue flavoured chicken with bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato with a combination of mayonnaise and wholegrain mustard. Dressing: 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of mustard Chicken and Tzatziki – Make the Tzatziki by seeding and grating the cucumber and sprinkling with ½ teaspoon salt. Leave  for 10 minutes, then drain. Mix with yogurt, lemon juice and mint. Spread on top of chicken and add lettuce if liked. This is great in a wrap or with lamb instead of chicken. Chicken, dried apricots, shredded lettuce and chopped parsley. Combine with a little Greek yoghurt and serve in a pita. Salami and tomato.

If your kids like a meat pizza they might enjoy this. Simply slice on a buttered roll. It’s really tasty on ciabatta rolls if you toast them first. Chorizo is also good instead of Salami. Salami, cheese, tomato and basil is another variation of this.

Roast beef with lettuce. Use horseradish or replace with mustard if preferred Cheddar and coleslaw Peanut butter and jelly – classic Peanut butter and jelly with sliced banana Peanut butter and grated carrot Peanut butter and Nutella. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and Nutella on the other. Sandwich together for a little piece of heaven!

Hummus and watercress Potato salad pita pocket. Combine cold, boiled baby potatoes with mayonnaise, chopped spring onion, hardboiled egg and crispy bacon bits and feta cheese in a pita pocket.