Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

I am not a huge fan of zucchini, but this turned out really well and was very good! We have a little charcoal grill and that gave the zucchini a great smoky flavor.

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini
recipe by Our Best Bites

2 medium zucchini (about 10")
4 oz Italian turkey sausage (I couldn't find the Turkey sausage so I used 2 regular Italian sausages)
1/4 C diced red onion ( I didn't have this so I used a white onion and a little green onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium tomato (about 1/2 C diced)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil (or abt a teaspoon of dried) ( I am not a big fan of basil so I used Italian seasoning)
2/3 C Italian cheese blend (the kind pre-bagged with parm/mozz/asiago/etc)
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 stovetop. 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, 1/4 t kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
-First 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. (Make sure you don't cook them very long here. You will put them back on the grill when they are stuffed. If you cook them too long, they will become watery.)
-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. Lastly, give them a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
-Place them back on the grill (filling side up- please!) 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.