Making Spooky Halloween Skull Potatoes is fun and straightforward! Follow these simple steps to create your creepy culinary masterpiece:

1. Preheat Your Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Prepare the Potatoes: Wash the russet potatoes thoroughly. Poke several holes in each potato using a fork to allow steam to escape while baking.
3. Bake the Potatoes: Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.
4. Cool and Cut: Once baked, remove the potatoes from the oven. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut each potato in half lengthwise.
5. Scoop the Flesh: Carefully scoop out the insides of each potato half, leaving about ¼ inch of potato around the skin. Transfer the flesh to a large mixing bowl.
6. Make the Filling: To the bowl of potato flesh, add sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mash until smooth and creamy.
7. Shape into Skulls: Using a spoon, gently shape the filling back into the potato skins, forming them into skull shapes as you go. Use additional potato filling as needed to create sharp edges and defining features.
8. Bake Again: Return the filled potato skulls to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through and the tops are slightly golden.
9. Garnish: Once out of the oven, garnish your Spooky Halloween Skull Potatoes with chopped chives for an extra festive touch.
10. Serve Warm: Allow to cool slightly before serving to avoid burns from the hot filling.

With these steps, you’ll have delightful and scary potatoes ready to excite everyone around the table!