Dollar stretching

Looking for cheap, easy meals? Nobody knows that subject like a college student, so I asked Stephanie Dumm, who blogs about food for the Sacramento State Hornet (www.statehornet.com) for budget-friendly tips:“

Tuna noodle casserole made with the recipe on the Campbell’s Cream of Celery soup can. The ingredients are two cans of tuna, frozen peas, egg noodles and the soup. It calls for bread crumbs and butter, but that can be optional—although it’s not the same without the buttery bread crumbs.

“Tortillas are versatile. Buy refried beans, shredded cheese and salsa, and you’ll have bean burritos for a week.

“[And] for its portability factor: the pita … you can cram just about anything in there and bring it to school. Pita pizzas are delicious, too. Spread on pizza sauce, sprinkle with cheese and toppings, stick it in the oven, and you’ve saved money that could have been wasted on ordering pizza.”