10 food hacks to take your boxed macaroni and cheese to the next level

• There are many ways to spice up boxed macaroni and cheese, with mix-ins that add flavor and texture.

• Extra ingredients can be mixed in with mac and cheese or simply sprinkled over top.

• Some ideas combine mac and cheese with other comfort foods like pizza and Buffalo chicken dip.

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Whether it be for the nostalgia, the need to prepare a quick dinner, or simply liking the taste of cheese powder, boxed macaroni and cheese is a classic for many of us.

For people looking to spice up the easy-to-make dish and take the flavor to the next level, here are some quick ways to add some pizzazz to your mac and cheese.

Fried mac and cheese balls make for a great party snack.

The only thing better than classic mac and cheese is taking that dish and deep frying it. Deep-fried mac and cheese is becoming a popular party staple.

One notable version of this food is from No Recipes. This fried mac and cheese balls recipe uses leftover mac and cheese and coats them in panko for a crispy exterior.

Pepperoni pizza mac combines two favorite comfort foods.

This recipe comes straight from the Kraft Heinz Company. It calls for Kraft macaroni and cheese, chopped pepperoni, Heinz tomato ketchup, dried oregano, and garlic powder.

This adds some protein and extra flavor to a typically creamy dish.

Class things up with some goat cheese and cherry tomatoes.

This idea from LightWorkers adds two simple ingredients to elevate boxed mac and cheese: crumbled goat cheese and sliced cherry tomatoes. If you're feeling adventurous, the recipe even offers an optional final step to scoop on pesto and top with Parmesan.

Add in some extra cheese for an extra decadent dinner.

Another Kraft creation, this recipe calls for the addition of cheddar cheese, sour cream, and ground pepper to prepared mac and cheese. The dish is finished by adding even more cheddar cheese and a butter-cracker crust and baking the finished product in the oven.

This bacon chipotle mac and cheese is a one-pot recipe.

Created by a busy mom at Julie's Eats and Treats, this recipe brings mac and cheese to the next level with crispy bacon bits and puréed chipotle peppers in adobo. You can cook the bacon with the mac and cheese to infuse the flavor, sprinkle it on top for texture, or do half and half.

This Buffalo mac and cheese brings the heat.

Up your mac and cheese game with this Food Network recipe that combines mac and cheese with Buffalo chicken dip. It's complete with Buffalo wing sauce, cubed chicken, and crumbled blue cheese.

Though this calls for mac and cheese made from scratch, you can certainly use the boxed version and upgrade it with these additions.

Add tuna for a quick and easy tuna casserole-like dish.

If you're looking for something even simpler, Taste of Home has a great hack to add a bit of heft to your meal: canned tuna. You can make this recipe with pretty much just pantry ingredients and it tastes like a quick and easy tuna casserole.

Make your mac and cheese into muffins.

If you're craving mac and cheese but are on the go, these mac and cheese muffins from Tablespoon are perfect. They start with a base of boxed mac and cheese and add wonton wrappers and buffalo chicken to make the perfect on-the-go treat.

Chili mac and cheese is a simple weeknight meal.

Chili and mac cheese go together like peanut butter and jelly. You can combine leftover chili with mac and cheese or follow this easy recipe with the canned stuff to have a quick and satisfying meal.

Add squash and sage for a cozy fall meal.

Whether you puree butternut squash or simply cook cubed squash and add it to your mac and cheese, it's easy to add this fall veggie to your boxed meal. A few sage leaves take it to the next level.