This Cheat's Fish Pie is a nutritious and delicious family dinner that feels like proper comfort food, without the usual faff! No poaching fish in milk, no complicated roux, no standing at the hob for ages. Frozen cod does all the hard work (making it budget friendly), and the sauce comes together in minutes thanks to crème fraîche. So easy to adapt with different fish and vegetables too.
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I did a budget family dinner series on my Facebook page (if you don't follow me, come over and join over 300,000 people!) a few months ago and that was one of the recipes I made for it, but forgot to share. It uses frozen cod fillets - no defrosting needed, as you cook from frozen. These work out much cheaper buying them frozen in bigger bags.
What makes this a "cheat's" fish pie, is that there is no white sauce made from scratch (hello, crème fraîche shortcut). It's packed with veg thanks to spinach, mushrooms, peas and sweetcorn and a great way to use frozen veg which is another budget staple. This recipe costs just £1.65 per portion.
Looking for more healthy family friendly meals? Why not try our comforting Cheesy Vegetable Pie, easy Chicken Sausage Tray Bake or our delicious High Protein Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cod - This recipe uses frozen cod, but you could use haddock or salmon, or even a mixture. You can use a fish pie mix as well if you like.
- Potatoes - The best potatoes for mashing are those with a high-to-medium starch content. Use Yukon gold, russets, maris piper or King Edwards.
- Vegetables - Mushrooms, spinach, peas and sweetcorn.
- Crème fraîche and Milk - This is the base of the sauce. The higher fat percentage, the creamier the sauce.
- Cheese - Use a reduced fate cheddar to lower the calories.
- Mustard - A little bit of Dijon mustard adds a lot of flavour. Adjust it to suit your own tastes.
Variations
Extra Fish: Add smoked haddock or frozen salmon chunks for a mixed fish pie. You could add king prawns too.
Cheese Swap: Try Red Leicester, Gruyère, or a cheddar-mozzarella mix.
Vegetables: You could add leeks, onions, or courgette.
Lighter Version: Use half-fat crème fraîche and reduced-fat cheese.
More indulgent: Stir a spoon of cream cheese or mascarpone into the sauce.
How To Make a Cheat's Fish Pie
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Cook the frozen fish in the preheated oven. Once cooked, remove and flake.
- Step 2: Put the potatoes on to boil.
- Step 3: Add the mushrooms and spinach to a pan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the milk (for the filling), crème fraîche, cheese and mustard. Mix well and heat until the cheese has melted.
- Step 5: Add the flaked fish, peas and sweetcorn to the pan.
- Step 6: Mix well.
- Step 7: Transfer the fish mixture to an ovenproof dish.
- Step 8: Mash the potato with the milk and butter and put on top of the fish mixture.
- Step 9: Use a fork to spread the potato over the fish, making grooves in the potato.
- Step 10: Bake for 15 minutes.
Meal Prep and Storage
Make Ahead
- Assemble the entire easy fish pie (without baking), cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5-10 extra minutes to the cooking time.
Freezing
- Freeze fully assembled but unbaked for up to 3 months.
- Defrost overnight in the fridge before baking.
Leftovers
- Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
- Microwave: Reheat individual portions, stirring the filling halfway if possible.
- Oven: 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes until piping hot.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't over-flake the fish - big chunks keep it juicy.
- Season the mash well, as you don't want a bland pie.
- Let it rest 5 minutes after baking so the filling sets slightly.
- Use a deep dish to avoid sauce bubbling over in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bake fresh cod for 12-15 minutes until just cooked, then flake.
Yes, definitely. Fresh parsley, dill, or chives all work really well.
If you cook the sauce at too high a heat, it will thicken too quickly. Simply stir in a splash of extra milk before assembling the pie.
More Fish Recipes
If you've tried this cheat's fish pie recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cheat's Fish Pie (with Frozen Fish)
Ingredients
Pie filling
- 400 g (14 oz) Cod - frozen
- 150 ml (0.66 cup) Crème fraîche
- 400 ml (1.66 cups) Skimmed milk
- 60 g (2 cups) Spinach - chopped
- 120 g (1.25 cups) Mushrooms - diced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 70 g (2.5 oz) Light mature cheddar - grated
- 100 g (0.66 cup) Frozen sweetcorn
- 100 g (0.66 cup) Frozen peas
Potato topping
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Potatoes - peeled and chopped
- 100 ml (0.33 cup) Skimmed milk
- 1 tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Cook the 400 g Cod into the preheated oven. Once cooked, remove and flake.
- Put 800 g Potatoes on to boil.
- Add 120 g Mushrooms and 60 g Spinach to a pan and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add 400 ml Skimmed milk, 150 ml Crème fraîche, 70 g Light mature cheddar and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Mix well and heat until the cheese has melted.
- Add the flaked fish, 100 g Frozen peas and 100 g Frozen sweetcorn to the pan and mix well.
- Transfer the fish mixture to an ovenproof dish.
- Mash the potato with 100 ml Skimmed milk and 1 tablespoon Butter and put on top of the fish mixture.
- Use a fork to spread the potato over the fish, making grooves in the potato.
Recipe Tips
- Don't over-flake the fish - big chunks keep it juicy.
- Season the mash well, as you don't want a bland pie.
- Let it rest 5 minutes after baking so the filling sets slightly.
- Use a deep dish to avoid sauce bubbling over in the oven.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Rita says
Very nice recipe but I think it has too much milk in it. It was rather runny so had to thicken it with cornflour..