Oven-Roasted Zucchini Boats

I recently made these zucchini boats to go with some grilled chicken for our dinner. I really liked them. I got the idea over on The Kitchn--they are really simple to throw together and have a great fresh flavor. They are also really customizable and changeable depending on what you have available or what flavors you like. My kids ate them okay. They much prefer the less healthy fried zucchini I make! I served these as a side, but you could totally make them a main vegetarian dish!

Zucchini Boats
2 medium zucchini (I'm sure yellow squash would work)
mozzarella cheese
cherry tomatoes
olives (green or black, your choice)
olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh or dried basil (or herb of choice)
bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Slice zucchini in half, lengthwise, to resemble a boat. Take a spoon and scrape out some of the seedy part down the center, to create a little rut down the length of the zucchini. Place zucchini on a baking sheet (I like to line mine with foil or parchment for easy clean up!  Brush zucchini lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on a good amount of salt and pepper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until zucchini are just starting to soften a bit. Meanwhile, slice cherry tomatoes and olives in half lengthwise. Cut mozzarella into about 1/2 inch cubes or so. You don't need more than a handful of this.

Remove zucchini from oven and increase oven temperature to 450F (220C). Alternate placing halved cherry tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella down the center of the zucchini. Brush with a little more olive oil and probably a little bit more salt and pepper. Sprinkle on some basil and bread crumbs. Pop back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Crumbs will be nicely browned and cheese will be melty.

If you change up some of the toppings, let the rest of us know what you try!

Notes: I made some without olives and just used tomatoes and cheese because Brian doesn't like olives. I thought his lacked a little of the flavor mine had, but it was still good. Just use plenty of salt and pepper. I'm sure fresh basil would be amazing on this, but I didn't have any. I just used dried. Italian seasoning or oregano or thyme would be good, too. Brian wished I'd put on a few more bread crumbs, so load them on if you like that kind of thing! I sliced each zucchini in half once baked and had 8 servings as a side dish.