If you are looking for a new way to get more fish in to your diet, then this Healthy Fish Pie is a great place to start. Flakey chunks of smoked haddock and salmon with prawns in an easy creamy sauce and topped with light and fluffy mashed potato. Comfort food with a healthy twist, and just 453 calories a portion.
Comfort food doesn't have to be complicated, and it doesn't have to be unhealthy. This healthy fish pie is protein packed, bursting with vegetables and we have lightened up the creamy sauce. You could even top it with a vegetable mash. It's kid friendly too, and a great way to introduce little ones to fish.
Jump to:
Why should I try it?
- An easy way to eat more fish - If you are put off eating fish because you think it is too complicated to cook with, then give this a try. Although it isn't particularly a quick recipe, it isn't complicated.
- Veggie packed - We have added a few different vegetables to this fish pie, and it's easy to add lots more. This dish has everything, so there is no need for side dish.
- Healthier than traditional fish pie - usually a fish pie is made with a cheese sauce, but we have used a little light cream cheese and milk to make the sauce, without sacrificing on taste.
- Kid friendly - If you want your kids to eat more fish, then a mashed potato topped pie is the way to go. Creamy and cheesy, this is a favourite with our kids.
What you will need
- Potatoes - This is what makes the delicious comforting mash. Floury and fluffy potatoes like Maris Piper and King Edwards are best for mashing. Desiree potatoes also make delicious creamy mash. You want to avoid waxy potatoes, as these are difficult to mash as they hold together well. You could also make vegetable mash, which we have there is more details on below.
- Butter - This helps to make the mashed potato super creamy. You could add a splash of milk too.
- Cornflour - We use this to thicken up the creamy sauce a little.
- Milk - A little bit is mixed with the cornflour to make a slurry and then the rest is what the fish is poached in and used for the creamy sauce. We use whole milk for maximum flavour.
- Salmon - A fish pie has to have salmon in, in our opinion. We used 2 salmon fillets of skin on, boneless salmon. For a change, and some extra flavour, you could use smoked salmon slices chopped up, but you would need a lot and it would make it quite salty.
- Haddock - We used smoked haddock because it adds so much flavour. You don't have to use smoked haddock, and could use regular haddock, but it won't have as much flavour.
- Prawns - As well as the flakey fish, we add some prawns for texture. We used king prawns.
- Parsley - When it comes to herbs, parsley goes perfectly with fish. We used flat leaf parsley and when mixed with the cream cheese, it makes a lovely creamy, herby sauce. You could always swap it for dill, which also goes well with fish.
- Cream cheese - This is what takes the creamy sauce up a level. Instead of making a cheese sauce with flour, butter and milk, we used a reduced fat cream cheese. Try to use the best quality you can, as the cheap ones tend to be quite tasteless and watery.
- Leek - Instead of onion, we used leek as it adds lots of flavour. You can't beat creamy leeks. You could swap it for onions or even leeks.
- Sweetcorn - This is a veg that most kids will happily eat, so it is an easy one to include. You could either use a tin of sweetcorn, or add frozen sweetcorn to save time.
- Mustard - We love mustard in mash, it just takes it to the next level. We used Dijon because it is nice and creamy, but you could use wholegrain instead. You could also leave it out.
- Cheese - Now, this is totally optional but we think that cheesy mash is the way forward. Topping the mash with some cheddar means that is gets nice and crispy, and gets even crispier if put under the grill for a fe minutes. We used a mature cheddar as it has a stronger flavour, so you can get away with using less.
Step by step
One: Mix the 1 tablespoon of milk and cornflour together and set aside.
Two: Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Three: Put 250ml of milk in to a pan and put the salmon, haddock, prawns and parsley in to it. Bring the milk to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
Four: Using a slotted spoon, lift the fish out and place in a large baking dish. Mix round so the fish flakes up.
Five: Stir the cornflour mix and add to the milk with the sweetcorn, leek, cream cheese and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Mix until the cream cheese melts.
Six: Drain the potatoes and mash them with the Dijon mustard and butter.
Seven: Pour the milk mixture over the fish and stir to distribute everything evenly.
Eight: Top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with the cheddar.
Nine: Put in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes. Put under the grill for 5 minutes to crisp the top.
Health benefits
Healthy is a relative term, but compared to more traditional fish pies, this is much lighter. To start with, we have lightened up the creamy sauce. You don't need heavy cream or a lot of cheese to make a creamy sauce. We have used milk (you could use semi or skimmed to make it even lighter) and a little cream cheese and you have yourself a sauce that tastes far more indulgent than it is.
I am sure you don't need telling, but with this much fish in the recipe, it has so many health benefits. Fish is packed with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins D and B2 (riboflavin). Fish is also rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, like zinc, iron, magnesium, iodine and potassium.
We have also packed this recipe with vegetables too, so it's a great way to sneak some extra veggie in your diet if you struggle with that.
What fish to use
The great thing about this healthy fish pie, is you a lot of options when it comes to what fish to use. That way, you can use whatever is available or on offer, as otherwise it can be quite an expensive dish to make.
We have used salmon, haddock and prawns. However, you could also use cod, crab, scallops, whiting, pollock or tilapia. You can also get packs of fish pie mix in the supermarket which have a good selection and save having to chop anything up too. If you buy frozen one, make sure it is fully defrosted before following this recipe.
Added vegetables
We love a recipe that you can pack loads of vegetables in to, and this is definitely one of those. Here are some options of vegetables that work well in a healthy fish pie:
- Leeks
- Shallots
- Sweetcorn
- Peas
- Broccoli
- Broad beans
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
Mashed potato topping
Fish pie is always topped with a deliciously light and fluffy mashed potato topping. However, we are always looking for ways to sneak in a few extra veggies to our meals. Why not make this creamy and indulgent mashed potato, but have some cauliflower mashed in to it too.
Just add some chunks of cauliflower to the water with the potatoes and cook them the same. You could go for a 100% cauliflower mash top, but we think potato is a must for the comfort factor. You could also make this with sweet potato mash and also mash some carrots and swede in to it.
What to serve it with
This is a pretty filling meal on its own, and we have tried to pack it with vegetables. But there is always more room for veggies on the side, right? Here are some of our favourite vegetable side dishes:
- Slow Cooker Brussels Sprouts
- Balsamic and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Lemon Asparagus
- Slow Cooker Green Beans
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Mushrooms
- Baked Carrot Fries
- Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Grilled Corn with Herb Butter
FAQs
Leftovers of this will store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Yes, this is a great meal to batch cook and freeze. Wait for it to full cool and then portion it out in to freezer containers. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure it is defrosted thoroughly and then heat it through in the microwave or oven.
As you are using raw fish, it is letting out liquid when cooking. There will be more liquid if you are using frozen fish that has been defrosted. A little extra cornflour will thicken it up, but you don't want to use too much because it will change the flavour. This can also happen when your mashed potato is too soft, so you need to cook them for a little less than usual, as they will cook more in the oven.
If mashed potato isn't your thing, then you can use a pastry top instead. We like scrunching up some sheets of filo pastry to put on top and then brushing with butter. It gives a lovely crispy top.
Yes, you can make everything including putting the mash on top of the mixture and then you can put it in the fridge until the next day and then put it in the oven when you are ready to cook it.
Yes, this recipe is gluten free. Just make sure that there is no cross contamination.
Extra tips
- To save time, you can buy a packet of fish pie mix from the supermarket. Just make sure that this is fully defrosted before following this recipe.
- If your creamy sauce isn't thick enough, then you can add a teaspoon of cornflour to thicken it up a little.
- You can make an extra crispy topping by sprinkling a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and grated cheddar on top of the mashed potato/cauliflower mix.
- You could make a basic cheese sauce and use that instead.
- Add some extra flavour to the sauce with a little glug of white wine.
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Recipe
Healthy Fish Pie
Ingredients
Fish pie
- 240 g salmon
- 220 g smoked haddock
- 150 g prawns
- 250 ml milk
- 150 g cream cheese
- 130 g sweetcorn
- 1 leek sliced
- 10 g fresh parsley chopped
Slurry
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
Mashed potatoes
- 800 g potatoes
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Mix the 1 tablespoon of milk and cornflour together and set aside.
- Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12-15 minutes.
- Put 250ml of milk in to a pan and put the salmon, haddock, prawns and parsley in to it. Bring the milk to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.240 g salmon, 220 g smoked haddock, 150 g prawns, 250 ml milk, 10 g fresh parsley
- Using a slotted spoon, lift the fish out and place in a large baking dish. Mix round so the fish flakes up.
- Stir the cornflour mix and add to the milk with the sweetcorn, leek, cream cheese and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Mix until the cream cheese melts.130 g sweetcorn, 1 leek, 150 g cream cheese
- Drain the potatoes and mash them with the Dijon mustard and butter.
- Pour the milk mixture over the fish and stir to distribute everything evenly.
- Top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with the cheddar.
- Put in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 for 30-40 minutes. Put under the grill for 5 minutes to crisp the top.
Notes
- To save time, you can buy a packet of fish pie mix from the supermarket. Just make sure that this is fully defrosted before following this recipe.
- If your creamy sauce isn't thick enough, then you can add a teaspoon of cornflour to thicken it up a little.
- You can make an extra crispy topping by sprinkling a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and grated cheddar on top of the mashed potato/cauliflower mix.
- You could make a basic cheese sauce and use that instead.
- Add some extra flavour to the sauce with a little glug of white wine.
Elle @ Spice and Life
A great classic dish full of flavour, so comforting and warming. Thank you for sharing with easy to follow steps and for adding some extras here and there, they do make the difference!
Alisa Infanti
I love that I can batch cook and freeze this! Perfect for back to school nights.
Roxana
I have been craving fish and looking for an interesting recipe and this was perfect. Love all the tips and extra information which was very helpful.
Gina
Definitely one of the most delicious ways to get seafood in your diet. Love it with mostly salmon and how it's so easy to add whatever you have on hand to it!
Katie
Can this be frozen?
Dannii
Yes, it can be frozen.
Rachel
This was an amazing fish pie and tasted just as good as a full fat recipe highly recommend it!
Dannii
Yay - I am so glad you enjoyed it :)
A-M
I make a very similar fish pie except I swap out half the potatoes for swede. Gives a really chunky, filling texture. Yum!
Dannii
That sounds really good!
Eleanor
That looks really good, Dannii. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Beth
I would definitely put peas in it :)
Amber
It is so low in calories too. I love it.
Julie
Do you use fat free cream cheese? And do you mean Philadelphia?
Dannii
No, we use full fat.
Mandy
That is 1 healthy dinner for next week sorted. I need to plan the rest now. Off to have a look at the rest of your recipe section.
Diane
I am going to make this tomorrow with a mix of sweet potato and carrot mash.
Angela
I love anything with salmon in it.
Jen
How good does this look! My husband loves fish pie, but he is always buying the microwaveable ones too.
Elizabeth
Could I use scallops in this? As I have some left over from Christmas.
Dannii
Yes, you can.
Kerry
I am new to your blog but I am loving all of your recipes. They are simple, which is perfect for me as I still have a lot to learn in the kitchen. Thank you.
zoe
This has gone on my meal plan for next week. It sounds totally delicious!
Nicki
YUM!
Marie
That looks incredible. I am making this for sure!