Combine Broth Base. Start by pouring the broth into a medium saucepan. Add garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, sage, and salt. Start bringing this mixture to a simmer over medium heat.

Combine Cornstarch Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and COLD water until smooth. (Make sure to combine this well to avoid lumpy gravy!) Set slurry aside for a moment.

Bring Gravy To A Simmer. When the gravy is bubbling, double check that your cornstarch slurry is smooth (it can settle if you wait to long!). Pour the cornstarch slurry into the simmering gravy.

Whisk To Thicken. Continue whisking the gravy over medium heat until it has thickened, 2-4 minutes. The mixture will go from looking slightly cloudy from the cornstarch slurry to looking translucent, thicker, and glossy. (Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken even more as it cools.) Taste and add more salt or herbs, if desired. 

Finish With Butter. Keep warm on lowest setting until you're ready to serve. Right before serving, whisk COLD butter into the gravy. Garnish with a little pepper, if desired. 

Serve or Store. Pour gravy into a gravy boat, serving bowl, or small pitcher to serve. Store leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3-4 days. Or, freeze gravy up to 2-3 months. Keep in mind that chilled gravy will thicken and look almost like jello. This is normal! Just reheat on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it back up. 

To Supplement With Drippings: Add 1/4 cup of pan drippings to the saucepan along with the broth at the beginning of the recipe and skip the addition of butter at the end.

To Use All Drippings: If you prefer, you can absolutely use all pan drippings instead of store-bought broth. Pour the pan drippings through a fine mesh sieve or strainer into a fat separator or large glass measuring cup. Let the drippings rest about 5 minutes so the fat will separate into an even layer. Skim out all but 2-3 Tablespoons of the fat and measure 2 cups of broth. (If you don't quite have enough, you can supplement with store-bought broth or water.) Add the fat and broth to the pan & make as directed, omitting butter at the end.