When it comes to eating meat, Americans love chicken! Almost one-third of the nation's meat consumption is chicken. In fact, the estimated U.S. per capita consumption of chicken in 2007 was 90.6 pounds!

Not only is chicken delicious and affordable, it is versatile — lending itself to all kinds of dishes. However, it can be a real challenge to transform chicken into new and creative meals that will please the whole family. With a little inspiration and a few staple ingredients found in your refrigerator or pantry, you can create a variety of tasty and flavorful dishes in minutes.

Some chicken recipes can be anything but ordinary:

A pairing of orange juice and chicken makes Citrus Chicken and Rice an unexpected delight. Garnished with sautéed orange slices, it's as pretty as it is pleasing to the palate. Mediterranean Chicken, made with sun-dried tomatoes, tangy capers and Nicoise olives, benefits from a base of chicken broth for added flavor and creates a zesty sauce for chicken.

With a blend of lemon juice, fresh parsley and paprika, Chicken in Savory Lemon Sauce delivers an exceptional flavor combination that will kick-start your taste buds. For a rich and creamy mouthwatering experience, try Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo, which combines cream of mushroom soup with tender broccoli flowerets, linguine and parmesan cheese.

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 25 minutes1¾ cups chicken broth4 sun-dried tomatoes4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halvesCoarsely ground black pepper⅓ cup all-purpose flour2 tablespoons olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced12 pitted nicoise olives, cut in half1 tablespoon capers1 teaspoon grated lemon zestPlace tomatoes in small bowl. Add ½ cup broth and let stand 10 minutes. Remove tomatoes and cut into thin strips. Reserve broth.Sprinkle chicken with black pepper and coat with flour. Reserve any remaining flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 12 minutes or until well browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.Add remaining oil and garlic to skillet and cook over medium-high heat 1 minute. Stir reserved flour, reserved broth from tomatoes and remaining broth in skillet. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in tomatoes, olives, capers and lemon zest. Heat through. Serve over chicken. Makes 4 servings.

Prep: 10 minutesCook: 20 minutes½ 16-ounce package linguine1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets2 tablespoons butter1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1½ inch pieces1 can (10¾ ounces) cream of mushroom soup1/2 cup milk1/2 cup grated paremesan cheese¼ teaspoon ground black pepperPrepare linguine according to package directions in 3-quart saucepan. Add broccoli during last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain well.Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.Stir soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture into skillet. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally. Serve with additional parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 35 minutes4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves1¾ cups chicken broth½ cup orange juice1 medium onion, chopped1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsleySautéed orange slices (optional)*Cook chicken in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet.Add broth, orange juice, onion and rice to skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes.Return chicken to skillet. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender. Stir in parsley. Makes 4 servings.*For a special touch, sauté orange slices in nonstick skillet until lightly browned. Garnish chicken with orange slices.

Prep: 5 minutesCook: 20 minutesVegetable cooking spray4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves1 can (10¾ ounces) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup½ cup water¼ cup chopped red or green pepper1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes1 tablespoon lemon juice½ teaspoon paprika4 lemon slicesSpray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides.Add soup, water, pepper, parsley, lemon juice and paprika to skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Top with lemon slices. Makes 4 servings.