Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

My zucchini plants this year did give me a few zucchini but that was about it. Luckily good people who can grow things like to give zucchini away. I love zucchini bread, but only so much of it so then I had to decided what to do with all the rest of the zucchini. I found two new zucchini loves. One is zucchini fries and the other is this stuffed zucchini. It was really, really good and I love that it is cooked on the grill so you don't have to heat up your house!

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
Source: Our Best Bites

2 medium zucchini (about 10″)
4 oz Italian sausage
1/4 C diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend
1 T Italian style bread crumbs
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Slice zucchini in half length wise, leaving the tops on. Scoop out the centers, saving them in a bowl. Leave at least 1/4 inch around the edges and bottoms. Take the good parts of the zucchini guts you just scooped out and dice up 1/2 C. This will go in your filling. Drizzle the zucchini shells with a little olive oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with some kosher salt and black pepper and set aside.
Preheat your grill outside and then start your filling in a skillet on the stove top. Start by browning the sausage. When you no longer see pink, add the onions, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is tender. Add tomato and basil, some salt and some pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Take your zucchini to the grill and put them hollow-side down. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice charred marks and look tender on the inside. Take them back inside. Add cheese and bread crumbs to filling mixture. Stir to combine and then divide the filling between the zucchini. Top each zucchini with about 1T cheese and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 t bread crumbs.  Then, give them a little drizzle of olive oil.
Place them back on the grill (filling side up). Close grill lid, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger/thicker zucchini will obviously take longer to cook. If you’re doing this inside, it will take a little longer seeing as you can’t close the lid to keep in the heat. You also might want to broil them in the oven when they’re finished to help the cheese on top get nice and bubbly.