Killer Artichoke Eggplant and Spinach Dressing - low carb

This is a low-carb remake of a favorite dish.  

2 ex-large eggplants or 3 smaller ones, peeled and cut in 1/2” cubes – roast on parchment-covered cookie sheets at 400º for 40 minutes

3 C heavy cream
2 heaping tsp chicken base – Costco has this
1 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp black pepper 
3 large eggs 
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese   

40 oz fresh spinach
2 C yellow onions (1 large), chopped – microwave them until tender
1 lb. Jimmy Dean Italian sausage – separated, cooked and crumbled

25 oz artichoke hearts - Costco sells these in large jars 

1 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 9 by 13-inch baking dish with Pam.

Wilt the spinach in a steamer basket or divide it in thirds and microwave each third for 4 minutes. Squeeze as much water from spinach as possible by twisting it in a woven towel, if you have one, then chop, place in a very large bowl and put aside.

Warm a cup of the cream and add the chicken base.  Stir until smooth.  Whisk cream/chicken base mixture with the remaining cream, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, eggs, lemon juice and add to the large bowl containing spinach.  It tends to clump, so adding it first allows it to be evenly distributed. Stir well. Add 3/4 C grated Parmesan cheese, onions, sausage and dried eggplant, then stir to combine. Gently add artichokes.  Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. PUT A COOKIE SHEET LINED WITH FOIL UNDER THE BAKING DISH TO CATCH DRIPS BECAUSE IT CAN MAKE A REAL MESS OF YOUR OVEN.  Place in oven.  Bake 1 1/2 hours.  If it looks soupy, give it another 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with remaining grated Parmesan cheese while still hot.  Serve warm. 

I make this dish a couple of days ahead when I’m preparing it for the holidays.  This year, 2018, I roasted the eggplant, prepared the spinach, onions and sausage, then froze them a week before Christmas, and thawed them two days before I wanted to make the dressing.  Really speeded up the process and reduced the stress of a lot of cooking and dishes.  About 30 servings – 6 net carbs per serving.

You can halve this recipe and reduce the cooking time to about an hour.