Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

This recipe, Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon I tried at my sister, Angie's, when she had us over for dinner.  It was such a hit, I had to make it myself.  It is a great side to a meal and is delicious!!!  Everyone in our family loves it.  I don't make it too often, as it is a little caloric, but I do use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese, and you can't even tell.  My rating for this is a 9.5!!  You can get to all of the recipes I post by clicking on the link, but I've decided to also add it at the bottom so you can get to it easily.  This was from Mel's Kitchen Cafe adapted from Southern Living.

Creamy Confetti Corn with Bacon

YIELD: SERVES 6-8 AS A SIDE DISH

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 12-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, white, yellow or red
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, light or regular, cubed
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 4 green onions, green parts finely chopped (white parts discarded)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the chopped bacon until golden and crisp. Scoop the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and discard all the bacon grease except for a thin coating on the pan, maybe a teaspoon or so.
2. Add the corn, onion, and red pepper, and cook over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the vegetables are tender and the corn is heated through, 6-8 minutes. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring until the cream cheese melts and the mixture is evenly combined.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Add more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the green onions.
4. Serve warm topped with the reserved bacon.
5. This dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Scoop the creamy 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 the corn dish in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Recipe Source: adapted from MyRecipes by way of Southern Living (I decreased salt, omitted half-and-half and used a splash of milk, omitted green pepper and used sliced green onions,