Everyone loves chicken. From the perfect roast to a soothing soup to crispy, crunchy fried chicken, it's hard for us to get enough of America's top bird. Other than being delicious in so many ways, it can be healthy and nutritious (one 3.5 oz serving of chicken breast meat is only 165 calories, with 31 g protein). Another bonus: chicken is fast! Especially if you turn to quick-cooking pieces like boneless skinless thighs and chicken breast cutlets. Most people have favorite preparations that they rely on when they need to get dinner on the table immediately to avoid a meltdown (yours or your family's). But it’s easy to get stuck in the routine of making it the same way night after night, until those formerly beloved chicken recipes all start to feel like that tired old dress you adored when it was brand new but are now ready to drop in the charity box.

Well, say goodbye to the chicken doldrums: With this collection of recipes, we use chicken in fresh new ways to make salads, sautés, pasta, and even nachos. You’ll be sitting down to a meal in half an hour or less, to an easy (winner!) chicken dinner that reminds you why chicken became your busy weeknight go-to in the first place.