What’s the one thing you can do to make a recipe more exciting?

Sometimes it’s just a new ingredient. A simple boost of flavor—or slight surprise—might even result in a great signature dish.

Traditional, But…

Replace even one ingredient in a familiar favorite, and you could find yourself with a winner. For example, lighten up lasagna for summer by swapping out the noodles for strips of zucchini. Even a small amount of olive paste can zap extra flavor into tomato sauces.

Adding something extra also makes classics more interesting, Such as sautéed leeks on top of mac and cheese, or carrot purée in the sauce (foodandwine.com). With Subway’s new Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwich, customers can order a veggie of their choice. A couple of pretzel chains (Auntie Anne’s and Pretzelmaker) are changing up hot dogs—wrapped in pretzel dough instead of a bun.

Spice Me

Just one spice or herb can make almost any dish more special. For example, use dill, tarragon or thyme in chicken salad. Add basil or cayenne to sandwich mayo. Go beyond the usual Italian seasoning in spaghetti sauce and zest it up with one more element: dried red pepper, cayenne or ground mustard. It’s easy to roll pre-breaded appetizers (cheese sticks, zucchini, etc.) in a savory spice just after frying.

For delicious fruit smoothies, simply include a pinch of ginger, mint or even pie spice. Serve fruit salad with a creamy dressing. Allspice makes it extra flavorful.

Heat Freaks

Research shows consumers continue to appreciate what’s hot, and there are plenty of options to set taste buds on fire. So why not offer jalapeños on pizza, banana peppers for turkey and beef sandwiches, or piquillo peppers on the appetizer platter. Splash some hot sauce onto that Gold Canyon hamburger pattie before grilling. A few roasted chiles in guacamole are great for the heat-seeking customer.

Cornbread tastes great when chili powder or cumin is stirred into the batter. A dash of curry powder brings new interest to egg salad. A sprinkle of cumin heats up salmon, soups, stews and vegetables such as cauliflower and squash. Adding heat to chocolate is popular, too; try cayenne in layer cake or brownies.

Meat Expectations

It’s also easy to give protein dishes a one-step enhancement. Such as putting a bottle of dark beer into chili. Or including a small jar of salsa when you mix the meatloaf. One cookbook author suggests placing a whole lemon inside a chicken before roasting—washed and pricked 25 times with a skewer to release the flavor.

On the other hand, meat brings increased flavor to a variety of dishes. Pork, for sure. Think bacon bits on salad or in biscuits, salami strips on a grilled-chicken sandwich, or bits of ham with asparagus. A pound of chorizo lends excitement to a pot of beef chili.

One Up

Including a single “premium” ingredient in your standard recipe—or purchased item—gives it unique flair. Mushroom soup is even better with a few wild mushrooms thrown in. Sprinkle a spoonful of pine nuts, dried cherries or fresh parsley on top of green salads. Coconut or coconut milk can enhance a variety of dishes, from entrées to desserts. Sliced avocado makes any chicken sandwich gourmet.

Relying on frozen-vegetable medleys for side dishes? Combine them with pearl onions or roasted red pepper from a jar. Any type of nuts, finely ground, brings a delicious dimension to waffle or pancake batter. Include chunks of fresh papaya or mango on a kabob, in a fruit salad or whirled into a smoothie.

Say Cheese

Research shows that adding cheese increases the perceived value of almost any dish. Many types of cheese can bbe shredded or shaved atop salads and soups. Cheese-flavored breads, scones and rolls are classy choices. Visit eatwisconsincheese.com for recipe ideas both traditional and trendy.

Another cheesey idea: Offer strong choices such as pepper jack or blue cheese for sandwiches. Cheesecakes can be made with goat cheese instead of cream cheese—suddenly exotic.

Shh, Here It Is

Thanks to people’s need for attention—and the Web—you’ll find lots of so-called “secret ingredients” to make a dish unique or ensure success. One cook swears by cornstarch for chewy chocolate-chip cookies. Another includes pickle juice in her potato salad. Crab cakes wouldn’t be the same without celery seed, according to one food blogger.

TV’s celebrity chefs are also eager to share secrets online. Bobby Flay “puts honey in everything—vinaigrettes, soups, stocks, salsas” (foodandwine.com, “Bobby Flay in Love with Savannah”). Paula Deen adds bouillon cubes in her onion soup. Giada de Laurentiis uses a typical Italian flavor-booster for pasta dishes—anchovies.

Flavor Boost

Swirl caramel sauce into pancake batter as it cooks for extra fun—and tasty—flapjacks. For a trendy Asian note to grilled chicken, add chopped cilantro to the marinade. Wild rice has an earthy, nutty flavor that’s a great complement for soups as well as side dishes. For an unexpectedly spicy pie crust, use gingersnaps instead of graham crackers. A simple vinaigrette dressing becomes light and summery with a dash of fresh lime juice.

Speaking of salads, try including a fresh seasonal veggie with your regular greens. Lightly steamed green beans, tender red potatoes, radishes: there’s a whole world of possibilities.

Pizza Swap

You can also exchange one ingredient for another to create something new in pizzas. Like at Southeast chain Stevi B’s Pizza Buffet, where they’ve substituted alfredo sauce for tomato sauce to make a Spinach Alfredo pie. For extra elegance, use sun-dried tomatoes. Or purée roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes for gourmet pizzas. Replacing the mozzarella with anything from goat cheese to Asiago may also find an eager audience.

Out There

Some trends rely on the unexpected ingredient. A syndicated Associated Press food editor initially ignored egg on pizza. The version that won him over was also topped with mushrooms—and he loved how the runny yolk made a kind of sauce.

Other surprises? Coarse salt sprinkled on desserts such as truffles and caramel cupcakes (chicagotribune.com, 5/13/10). Dandelion flowers in muffins (just the yellow petals). Or dandelion greens in soup, as served at the Taste of History restaurant at Greenfield Village in Michigan.

Isn’t it great to know that it only takes “one thing” to make recipes special? And ideas are everywhere.