You'll totally DIG these Twice-Baked Halloween Potato Graves. With just a little bit of effort, this spooky yet easy-to-make dinner is to DIE for.
This recipe was originally published in 2014. I've since gone in and updated the post with additional information and a printable recipe card with nutritional information. The recipe itself has remained unchanged.
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The ingredient list:
**Note - The following lists of ingredients plus kitchen tools and equipment contain affiliate links (highlighted in blue) for your consideration and shopping convenience. #CommissionsEarned
- russet potatoes
- ground beef
- cream of mushroom soup
- milk
- ketchup
- string cheese
- crackers
- chives
- green beans (optional)
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- shovel forks (optional)
How this recipe came to be (2014):
As I was brainstorming Halloween potato ideas with my husband, an idea jolted me like a lightning bolt coming down from the sky.
What about some Twice Baked Potato Graves that would allow some big, BOO-tiful, russet potatoes to be the star of this horror show???
"Life! Life, do you hear me?! Give my creation LIIIFFE!" - Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein).
From there, I let my extra twisted imagination run wild with ingredients like ground beef "dirt," a cracker tombstone (even corpses taste better when they sit on a…well, you know), some chive grasses, some string cheese bones, and of course an ooze or two of blood.
Then, what I consider to be a touch of brilliance (I know, my cockiness here is the really scary part) …I used little galvanized shovels to take the place of forks. Can you "dig" it? Get it? Potato AND Halloween grave humor all in one post! Egad!
Why this recipe works:
Even though these Twice Baked Potato Graves may be cute (and a little spooky), make no BONES about it, they're super tasty and especially kid-friendly with all the flavors and ingredients they love. Just wait until you see how fast your little goblins gobble them up.
Don't be scared!
The recipe may seem quite involved with a lot of steps, but don't let that frighten you off.
You can do this and be the most admired ghoul on the block when you serve these at the neighborhood Halloween party.
How to make potato graves:
- Pierce four russet potatoes with a paring knife and bake them in a microwave oven until soft.
- Allow the potatoes to cool completely so you can handle them.
- Cut the potatoes in half and use a spoon to scoop out the insides, making sure to leave a ¼" shell.
- Season the shells with salt and pepper and place the scooped-out potato in a large bowl and mash lightly.
- Heavily brown the ground beef in a large skillet.
- Once browned allow to cool.
- To the potatoes in the bowl, add the mushroom soup and milk mixture and the butter.
- Mix until creamy.
- Spoon the potato mash into the potato shells making sure to spread the mash to the edge of the shells.
- Spread the ground beef over the potato mash to resemble dirt, making sure to bring the ground beef all the way to the edges.
- Wrap 5-6 chives around the bottom of a cracker and press the cracker firmly into the top of the grave to resemble a tombstone with grass.
- Trim and adjust the chives as needed.
- Cut room temperature sting cheeses into quarters and thirds (you can do some of both sizes) and then cut the cut pieces into quarters.
- Using a paring knife cut a notch into the sides of the cut cheese.
- Trim slightly to resemble the rounded knobs of the bones.
- Use the paring knife to trim each side of each bone so the bone is thinner than the nob.
- Squirt two blobs of ketchup onto each grave and then place a bone on top of the ketchup.
- Warm the potato graves in a low oven (275 degrees) for 10-15 minutes and serve with a galvanized shovel fork (optional).
There you have it. Scary good and scary easy once you know how!
Additional Halloween recipes for you:
Melted Witch Candy is my fun wink and a nod to an iconic movie classic, and I'll bet you can easily guess "witch" movie I'm talking about.
Can you wrap your "head" around eating gory Brain Food Jello Salad for Halloween? Try not to "think" about it too much, and you'll be just fine.
Surprise and delight all the goblins you know by serving up this easy to make freaky Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treat. Think he's too difficult to make? Think again! I'm sharing all my tips and TRICKS with an easy-to-follow step-by-step photo tutorial.
When you make this recipe, and I hope you do, I'd appreciate it if you'd take a moment to leave a star rating on the recipe card and briefly comment on why you rated it as you did. FYI - Google appreciates recipe ratings and, in turn, will share my recipes with more people. Thank you so much!!
Printable Recipe Card
TWICE-BAKED POTATO GRAVES
Equipment
- shovel forks optional
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic to keep the vampires away
- 1 teaspoon salt divided (plus an extra pinch to season the potato shells)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided (plus an extra pinch to season the potato shells)
- 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- ¾ cup cream of mushroom soup I used low sodium
- ¼ cup milk
- 8 crackers I used the ones with the pretzel on one side and cracker on the other
- chives
- 3-4 string cheese
- green beans for garnish optional
Instructions
- -Pierce the potatoes with a fork or paring knife and microwave them until cooked through (this took me about 15 minutes on full power). Allow them to cool until you can easily handle them.
- -Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium/high heat, deeply brown the ground beef (remember your looking to replicate dirt).
- -Reduce the heat to low and stir in the garlic. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- -Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the center of the potato, making sure to leave about a ½" shell.
- -Place the scooped potato into a large bowl and mash slightly with a potato masher.
- -Place the potato shells onto a baking sheet and season each with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- -In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream of mushroom soup and the milk, being careful not to let it boil (approximately 1 minute on high power).
- -Add the butter to the bowl of mashed potatoes and then pour the soup/milk mixture into the bowl.
- -Mash the potatoes to form a creamy consistency and so the butter is melted throughout. Season with the additional ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- -Spoon about ½ cup of the mashed potato mixture into each shell, making sure to spread the mixture to the entire rim of the shell (this is what will hold the ground beef "dirt" in place). *Note - once each shell has ½ cup of mashed potatoes, divide the remaining mash evenly between the shells and proceed with the spreading technique.
- -Use a spoon (or your fingers) to evenly divide the cooled ground beef to the top of each potato grave.
- -Fold about 5 or 6 chives around the short end of the cracker (short on one side and longer on the other) (see photo) and then insert the chive side of the cracker into the head end of the potato grave. Trim and gently adjust the chives as needed.
- -Using a paring knife, trim the string cheese into bone shapes (see photos as to how to do this).
- *Note - the string cheese is easier to cut when it's at room temperature.
- -Place a squirt or two of ketchup onto the tops of each grave and place a bone or two on top of the blood.
- -Once assembled, warm them in a low oven (275 degrees for 10-15 minutes).
- -Serve with shovel forks and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's fun (and a little spooky) Halloween main course for Twice Baked Potato Graves as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
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Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!!
Melissa Bailey says
Such a clever idea! This was fun to see how its made.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
I love this! It looks amazing and sounds yummy! I have to try this.
Nutmeg Nanny says
These are adorable! I would never be able to think up something so adorable 🙂
Kim Bee says
This is the coolest thing ever. And those shovels are killing me. I want some so badly.
Meseidy says
What a fun halloween twist!
Aly ~ Cooking In Stilettos says
You are a culinary genius Renee! Oh my heavens these are adorable!!!!
Brenda@SugarFreeMom says
That is adorable!!! I love those cheese bones!
Susan says
You nailed it with this one. Every little detail from the chive grass, to the shovels as forks. I do believe dr. frankenstein would be proud to serve this at his dinner. The question is does he celebrate Halloween or is that everyday for him?
Stacy Rushton says
What a brilliant idea, Reneé! I love those little shovels and that you finished these off with cheese bones. That made me laugh. These would be a big hit at any Halloween themed party!
Back for Seconds says
How fun and creative! Love these!
Ginny McMeans says
This is so fun and such a great Halloween display. Edible too! You have done the almighty potato a great service and really put a lot of thought into it. Just love the glasses too!
Angie Barrett says
Oh my, these are BOO-tiful russet potatoes graves!! muhahaha. Just perfect! I love Halloween (OMG and those glasses, you just have NO idea how much I love those). I know quite a few goblins that would love these potato graves!!
Amanda Tynis says
LOVE! You are genius! I love themed foods! And these potatoes look to die for! ( Pun intended) 😉
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere says
Your creativity is out of this world! I was so curious what you made the 'bones' out of. String cheese is brilliant!
foody schmoody says
You totally win the prize the most creative food I've seen! I love twice baked potatoes but I certainly have never come up w/ like this. I'm loving all the puns in your post too. I'm in just a silly enough mood today to have laughed out loud at most of them!
Martha@A Family Feast says
How clever! I love these - perfect for a Halloween dinner party!
Tammy Northrup says
What a cute idea! Your story telling really cracks me up. I loved it. Oh and your cockiness is well deserved because you knocked this one out of the park! 🙂
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
Honestly this has to be the most creative Halloween dish I've ever seen!! The bone are just fabulous!! Great recipe, Renee!!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
It is clear from your step-by-step pictures that you had many more than 'one' stroke of brilliance with this one!
Amy Kim says
I absolutely love these! And very nice touch with the string cheese bones! Spooky AND yummy!
Kellie Hemmerly says
Oh my gosh! These are so cute! I love the little shovels in the tutorial pic too....so clever and they look delish!
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
I can definitely dig it, Renee! These are so inspired, and your word-play makes it all the better. My little goblins will love to see these on their Halloween plates 🙂
Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says
I'm glad you didn't do mashed potato ghosts! I was thinking of those too but it seemed so obvious. Your recipe is fantastic! I love the detail, especially the little cheese bones. It's those details that really make a difference when the recipe needs to be both delicious AND decorative. 🙂
Katie says
There are so many elements of this recipe that I love! You definitely had some great imagination going to dream these up. I know when I'm trying to be creative with recipes like this, it is so hard not to go on repeat with something else I've seen. Being original is hard! And oh my gosh, the shovels and the string cheese bones. Loving....I'd almost be sad to eat the tray since they look so awesome!
Camilla Mann says
Okay, I am thoroughly inspired for our annual Halloween camping trip when we have a spooky potluck. I just need to make a shopping list and get those shovel forks. FYI your added Halloween prose - potatoes in all their 'gory', etc. - was adorable! But I'm a word-gal. Thanks for sharing with #SundaySupper.
Renee Goerger says
Thank you Camilla for actually reading my post. Much appreciated!
Jennie Phaneuf says
These look amazing. I'm really loving that mini shovel.
Family Foodie says
Renee, From the graves with their chive grass sticking up, to the writing, to the bones and shovels, you did Halloween and Idaho potatoes proud!
Renee Goerger says
I very much appreciate your comment, Isabel. Thank you so much for taking the time to read, and leave a thoughtful comment.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
Oh my goodness. Such great detail in these. The shovel and bones are awesome!
Kimberly says
oh my goodness ... these are so creative and cute! I love the "bones" ... adorable!
And they sound so hearty too ... these would be perfect for a Fall dinner!
Susan Pridmore says
Wow - these are perfect for Halloween!!! You did a wonderful job with this!! I can't believe you found these little shovels, and then making the bones! Perfect!!!
Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Totally cool idea! I love everything about your recipe! Perfect for Halloween!
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
A spooky meal for sure!
Liz Berg says
Wow, you hit this one out of the ballpark! Love the details...the bones are the perfect touch! Plus I bet they taste amazing!
Renee says
The shovels, the bones, and the potatoes themselves - total brilliance!!
Alida says
These are so creative and look tasty too! I love everything, especially the string cheese bones!!