Low Calorie Fish Pie

Low-Calorie Fish Pie has everything you expect of a fish pie with tasty chunks of fish, in a creamy sauce topped with mashed potatoes. It is really easy to make and has less than 300 kcal per portion.

Why should I make Low Calorie Fish Pie?

Fish pie is a great way to serve fish. This is a real family recipe that I learned from my Mum. It makes a little fish go a long way and the creamy sauce and crispy mash are always popular. You can use any kind of fish, but I always like to include some smoked fish to give it a real depth of flavour.

I love that this recipe is so low in calories and yet it is a real comfort food feast. You can also make it ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and then heat it through and crisp the top of the potatoes.

What Ingredients do I need for Low Calorie Fish Pie?

For this recipe, I use ordinary ingredients that you can buy at the supermarket. Fish is naturally low in calories and a great source of protein.  Spinach is also a naturally low-calorie vegetable and is full of vitamins and minerals.

You will need:

• A mix of different fish
• Potatoes
• Milk
• Cornflour
• Spinach
• Egg
• Salt & Pepper

What kind of fish should I use Low Calorie Fish Pie?

I like to use a mixture of different fish in my Fish Pie. Try to choose one from each category:

• Smoked Fish such as smoked haddock, smoked cod, Arbroath Smokies
• White Fish such as haddock, cod, whiting or pollock.
• Salmon or Trout (optional)

To make the Low Calorie Fish Pie with fresh fish reduce the cooking time in the recipe by 10 minutes.

Can I use frozen Fish Pie Mix?

Yes, frozen fish pie mix is ideal for this recipe. It’s so convenient to keep a pack in the freezer to bring out whenever I want to make fish pie. Use the frozen mix from frozen without any pre-cooking or thawing. It will cook quickly in the sauce.

How do I make the sauce for Low Calorie Fish Pie?

I make this sauce with cornflour and milk. If you use cornflour to make the sauce rather than making a roux with butter and flour you cut down on the fat and calories. Season the sauce well and you won’t miss the butter.

Heat the milk

Heat the milk in a saucepan on the hob or heat it in the microwave.  Use a big pan or jug so the milk doesn’t boil over and make a mess.

Add the hot milk to the cornflour paste

Mix the cornflour with a little cold milk in a bowl to make a paste. This is sometimes called ‘slaking’ the cornflour. I’ve also heard the cornflour and milk mixture called a ‘slurry’. Add the hot milk to the paste stirring to mix.  Put the milk and cornflour mix back into the microwave or onto the stove to cook through, stirring frequently.

What kind of potatoes should I use?

I like to use Maris Piper potatoes as they are a good all-round potato and make a good mash. But any floury type of potato will do. New potatoes are not really suitable for mash, if they are all you have, then cook them and slice onto the top of the pie.

Can I use frozen mashed potato?

I haven’t made this fish pie with frozen mash. But there is no reason why you couldn’t use frozen mashed potatoes.

Tips for putting mashed potatoes onto the Fish Pie

It’s not difficult to top a pie with mashed potatoes but there are a few little tips and tricks I’ve learned that might help you to get a good finish.

• Add small spoonfuls and place them around the edge of the ovenproof dish. This will stop the filling oozing out at the sides.
• Add the remaining potatoes onto the filling in the dish filling all the space.
• Use a small spatula ( I use an icing/frosting spatula) or the back of a spoon to smooth the potatoes.
• Use the end of the spatula or the rounded end of a spoon to make small indentations all over the potatoes.
• You can also use the tines of a fork to make marks on the potato if you prefer.
• I have also piped the potatoes onto the filling and, although this takes a little longer, it does give a nice finish.

What can I substitute for the spinach in Low Calorie Fish Pie?

I add spinach to the fish pie because it cooks quickly and doesn’t need to be pre-cooked, you can just add it straight to the sauce. But if you don’t want to use spinach you can use other vegetables. Here are some ideas:

• Frozen or fresh peas.
• Sliced leeks sauteed in a little butter and oil.
• Fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels.
• Baby broad beans sauteed or cooked for a few minutes in boiling water.
• Runner beans sauteed or cooked for a few minutes in boiling water.
• A mixture of any of the above.

Why brush the mashed potato with egg?

The beaten egg makes the potato topping a lovely golden colour once it has been baked.

Can I make the fish pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the fish pie ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Use fresh fish if you plan to make the pie ahead of time. You can also keep a baked fish pie in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat it before serving.

Can I freeze Low Calorie Fish Pie?

You can freeze fish pie. Make up the recipe in a freezer and oven-proof dish and use fresh fish. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can let it thaw first or cook it from frozen but the pie will take longer to heat through so do check that it is fully cooked.

Vegetarian

This recipe contains fish and is therefore not suitable for a vegetarian diet.

Gluten Free

I use cornflour in the sauce for Low Calorie Fish Pie. Cornflour is generally acceptable for a GF diet, but please always check the packaging to ensure that you are able to tolerate it.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Low Calorie Fish Pie?

Serve the pie simply as it is. It already has spinach in it and potatoes on top so it has everything you need for a complete meal. I sometimes like to serve it with a green vegetable like green (runner) beans, spring cabbage or frozen peas.

More Fish Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

• Cullen Skink – Scottish Smoked Haddock Soup
• Easy Smoked Mackerel Kedgeree
• Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Tart
• Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake

Low Calorie Fish Pie

Janice Pattie

Tasty chunks of fish, in a creamy sauce, topped with mashed potatoes. Total comfort food with fewer calories. 

4.10 from 31 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Servings 4

Calories 187 kcal

Ingredients

• 400 grams (1 lb) frozen fish pie mix or mixed fresh fish pieces
• 100 grams (3¼ cups) spinach
• 1 1/2 tablespoon (1 ½ tablespoon) cornflour
• 450 millilitres (1 pt) semi-skimmed milk
• 15 g (4 tbsp) fresh parsley optional
• 500 grams (1 lb) potatoes
• 1 (1) egg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• 500 grams potatoes
  Peel and chop the potatoes and boil until soft.
  
• Push the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or mash.
  
• Add a little semi-skimmed milk to get a creamy mash consistency.
• Preheat the oven to 190 C/170 C Fan
• 450 millilitres semi-skimmed milk, 1 1/2 tablespoon cornflour
  Make the sauce by mixing some of the cold milk with the cornflour to make a thick paste, then heat the milk to just below boiling point, about 3 minutes in the microwave or heat in a pan on the stove.
  
• Pour the hot milk into the cornflour paste and stir until thoroughly mixed, then heat for 1 more minute in the microwave until thickened.
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  Season the sauce with salt & pepper and fresh chopped parsley, if using. The sauce should be quite thick as the frozen fish and the spinach will release water while cooking in the pie.
  
• 400 grams frozen fish pie mix
  Place the fish in an ovenproof dish, add half the sauce, then cover with the spinach leaves.
  
• 100 grams spinach
  Pour over the remaining sauce, the spinach will wilt with the heat of the sauce.
  
• Top the fish and spinach with the mash (you don’t have to pipe it, but it does look pretty).
  
• 1 egg
  Beat the egg and brush the top of the mash with beaten egg.
• Bake for 40 minutes for frozen fish, or 30 minutes for fresh fish until bubbling and golden brown.
  

Video

Notes

If your sauce is not thick enough, then mix another teaspoon of cornflour with cold milk and pour into the hot sauce mix, stirring all the time.

Calorie Count: 400g fish pie mix 312 kcal; 200g spinach 14 kcal; 1.5 tbsp cornflour 81 kcal; 450 ml semi-skimmed milk 153 kcal; 500 g potato 462 kcal; 1 egg 78 kcal.

Total Calories – 1,100 kcal

183 kcal per portion if serving 6.

275 kcal per portion if serving 4 – add 50 g runner beans = 291 kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 26gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 143mgPotassium: 635mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2834IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 181mgIron: 2mg

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