Whether you’re making a hearty soup, pan sauce, or gravy, chances are the recipe is going to call for some kind of stock, usually beef or chicken. Store-bought stock certainly comes in handy, but one downside is that it's often thin and watery — something you can easily fix by using this one pantry staple.

Gelatin is found in homemade stock made by boiling animal bones, and it's what gives the resulting stock a rich, lip-sticking body. To make store-bought stock just as rich, add unflavored gelatin powder, which is easier to measure and dissolves more quickly, or sheet gelatin, which has less of an aftertaste.

To prevent powdered gelatin from forming lumps in your stock, “bloom” it by mixing it with cool or cold water before adding it to warm or hot liquid. Use two teaspoons of gelatin for every cup of broth or stock, but use less if you plan to serve the dish the next day, since gelatin continues to thicken past the 24 hour mark.