One of my besties is a vegetarian, and I always felt bad when we went to dinner parties that the only thing she could eat at the buffet was a iceberg lettuce salad.

So I got in the habit of learning how to make hearty vegetarian dishes for potlucks. I mean, it’s not like we carnivores can’t partake in veggies, too. But at least my girlfriend — and other vegetarians — would have something more substantial to eat than baby carrots.

This was one of my go-to recipes, a quick and simple Mexican side dish with corn, tomatoes and zucchini.

And yes, it calls for bacon — not vegetarian! — but I’d always put that on the side.

Here’s the recipe:

Starts with bacon

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Fry bacon in a skillet and set aside. This is going to be the garnish on the dish. To make it vegetarian, fry this separately. But if not, keep the bacon fat; you'll cook the rest of the dish in it.