This side dish is perfect for parties, and full of flavorful sweet corn, red bell pepper, and zucchini mixed with silky cream cheese, topped with crispy bacon.
In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chopped bacon to desired crispness. Remove bacon and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Drain bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
Add the corn, onion, garlic, red pepper, zucchini to the pan and cook over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir and cook until the vegetables are tender and the corn is heated through, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the cream cheese and almond milk. Stir together until the cream cheese has melted.
Stir in the basil and green onions, and immediately remove from heat.
Serve warm topped with the reserved bacon. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Make it dairy-free: This recipe calls for cream cheese. If you're dairy-free like me, you can opt to substitute your favorite dairy-free cream cheese instead.Make it vegan: You can use vegan cream cheese and leave out the bacon to make this a vegan side dish. Instead of the bacon rendered fat in the beginning of the recipe, simply heat up vegan butter instead. About 3 tablespoons should do it, but feel free to use more or less depending on your personal preference. Then proceed with the remaining directions.Make Ahead Directions: This dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Place cooked confetti corn mixture into an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with the bacon and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, heat in a 325°F degree oven for 15-20 minutes, just until heated through.