You may be surprised by foods you'll find at local dollar stores - and what you can make using $1 ingredients.

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When I bumped into a great cook I know in the food aisle of a Dollar Tree store recently, she gave me an enigmatic smile.

Was she embarrassed to be caught in this one-price-buys-all emporium? Or signaling that we shared a valuable secret?

Soon I had my answer.

"I cut my grocery bill in half by coming here first," she confided before rolling her rapidly filling cart away.

I can't claim to have saved that much, but after weeks of visits to Dollar Tree and a rival, Dollar General, I see their appeal.

With food prices climbing higher, more grocery shoppers may give dollar stores a look. There are at least 37 such stores in the Wichita, Kan., area, according to the current telephone directory.

Here are a few common perceptions about dollar stores and what I actually found:

Perception: Dollar stores are only good for bulk goods and pantry basics such as pasta and canned tomatoes.

Truth: This was the happiest surprise, as I found sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and other "gourmet" products for great prices.

Perception: Dollar stores sell products that are damaged or have reached their expiration dates.

Truth: I found no evidence of the latter. It did seem as if there were a few more dented cans than you'd find in a supermarket.

Perception: Dollar stores sell only obscure "off" brands.

Truth: In fact, the products are a pretty good mix of national name brands and others you probably won't recognize. Some of the latter are regional brands or come from other countries, but all that we sampled passed the taste test.

Dollar stores say they can sell at low prices by using their bulk buying power, taking advantage of product overruns by other vendors and keeping their own costs low, according to the stores' Web sites.

"Our buying power is not to be taken lightly," Dollar Tree spokeswoman Shelley Davis said of the Virginia-based chain, which boasts more than 3,200 stores in 48 states.

About 40 percent of the chain's food products come from outside the United States, which is why you might find brands of sweet pickles from India or roasted red peppers from Turkey that you wouldn't find in, say, Dillons. But other imports, such as Barilla pasta from Italy, are well known.

DOLLAR STORE DRAWBACKS

What drawbacks to dollar stores did I find?

Not everything is actually a dollar and/or a good deal.

Of the big four chains with locations in Wichita - Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Big Lots - only the first still sells everything for a dollar or less. About two-thirds of the products sold in Dollar General, for example, cost more than a dollar. One dollar for a can of tuna, as some dollar stores charge, is actually more expensive than the supermarket.

Organization and cleanliness also vary from store to store, even within the same chain.

Products are limited and not always available.

Dollar stores sell packaged products with long shelf lives. There are no fresh sources of protein or produce (at least not for a dollar). As for packaged goods, that great deal you found last week may not be on the shelves today.

GOOD DEALS

Here are some products we found for $1 at Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores:

12-oz. jar roasted red peppers

12-oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in water

2.5-lb. bag long-grain rice

1-lb. box Barilla pasta

9-oz. jar pimento-stuffed green olives

16-oz. jar salsa

1 bag (15 count) flour fajita-size tortillas

7-oz. box Carr's stoned wheat crackers

10-oz. jar marinated mushrooms

1 can (20 oz.) pie filling (chocolate, key lime and other flavors)

8-oz. jar minced garlic

1 bag (3.5 oz.) dry-roasted almonds

Graham cracker piecrust

Dried herbs and spices, 50 cents to $1 each per bottle

1 box (18.25 oz.) Duncan Hines yellow cake mix

1 tub (15 oz.) Pepper Jack cheese spread

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DOLLAR STORE DELUXE PASTA

A restaurant might add some freshly grated Parmesan to this dish. But with the strong flavors provided by the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and other ingredients, tasters didn't really miss it. As it is, the cost of the recipe, which makes 6 to 8 servings. is about $2.50.

1 lb. penne pasta

2/3cup sun-dried tomatoes (the kind that come packed in water or oil), chopped

2 whole roasted red bell peppers (from a 12 oz. jar), cut into strips

1/3cup pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced

¼cup chopped roasted almonds or other nuts

3 tablespoons olive oil or olive-vegetable oil blend

Minced garlic (from jar) and Italian seasoning to taste

Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Toss pasta with remaining ingredients and serve.

-The Wichita Eagle

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KEY LIME PIE WITH COCONUT MARSHMALLOW `MERINGUE'

A quick and easy twist on egg white-based meringue, the marshmallow-and-coconut combo that tops this pie is addictive. Substitute chocolate pie filling if desired. Cost of pie, which makes 8 to 10 servings, is about $3.50.

1 graham cracker piecrust

2 cans (20 oz. each) key lime pie filling

2 cups mini marshmallows

3 tablespoons unsweetened grated coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spoon pie filling into piecrust. Spread marshmallows evenly over filling and sprinkle with coconut.

Bake about 15 minutes or until marshmallows and coconut are lightly browned.

Remove pie from oven and cool on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

-The Wichita Eagle

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CHILI-CHEESE ENCHILADAS

Talk about a bargain: This recipe makes a tasty main dish for four or five people for about $2.50. You can easily double the recipe by buying a second can of chili.

1 cup salsa

Vegetable oil

5 fajita-size flour tortillas (from 15-count bag)

1 can (20 oz.) chili with beans

½cup Pepper Jack cheese spread (from 12-oz. tub), heated in the microwave until spoonable

Place salsa in a wide-mouthed bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add a tortilla to the skillet and cook about 10 seconds per side, or until tortilla begins to puff up, soften and lightly brown in spots; do not cook until crispy.

With tongs, dredge both sides of the tortilla through the salsa until lightly moistened with salsa (try not to tear the tortilla). Place the tortilla on a cutting board and repeat with the remaining salsa.

Divide the chili between the tortillas, top with cheese spread and roll up. Place enchiladas in a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking pan and top with remaining salsa from bowl.

Bake in a 350-degree oven about 30 minutes or until enchilada filling is bubbly.

-The Wichita Eagle

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DOLLAR STORE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

We wondered how an inexpensive oil blend and balsamic vinegar would work in our favorite vinaigrette formula. The answer - just fine, and for much less than $1.

3 tablespoons soybean-olive oil blend

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Whisk together oil, vinegar and garlic until well blended. (Or, place in a small plastic storage bowl with a tight lid and shake vigorously.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with lettuce or spinach.