My son called me tonight to ask how to thicken the liquid in the pot roast he was cooking. 

One of the great cooking aids I am never without is a box of cornstarch!  It has got me out of more liquidy jams than I can count – plus it also helps make a great gravy out of any au jus!

Take 1/2 cup of ice cold water and add 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Mix quickly and well so there are no lumps.  Add into the hot liquid you are trying to thicken, turn up the heat and stir constantly.  Once it reaches a boil, it won’t thicken much after that.  So you may need to repeat.  This works well for thickening pot roast juices into a nice gravy, and, of course, is used for making all sorts of gravies, puddings, cream pies and more.

My favorite cornstarch: