Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake

Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake is a delicious creamy fish bake, with leeks, spinach and cheese sauce all topped with sliced potatoes and baked in the oven until crisp. The recipe is based on the classic recipe for Haddock Mornay adapted to make it an ‘all-in-one’ dish recipe.

What is Haddock Mornay?

The classic mornay sauce is a bechamel sauce enriched with cheese. Haddock Mornay is made by poaching haddock fillets and serving them on a bed of cooked spinach covered with the mornay sauce. Sometimes, this is topped with breadcrumbs, more cheese and grilled (broiled) until crisp.

Why make Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake?

My recipe for Cheesy Haddock and Potaao Bake doesn’t involve pre-cooking the fish. The sauce is made mixing creme fraiche with various seasonings and this tops the spinach and leeks. The dish is topped with sliced potatoes and a little extra cheese, everything is included to create a tasty family meal.

I’ve also tried to minimise the washing up by using one pan for preparation with everything going into one casserole dish for the finished bake.

What ingredients do I need to make Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake?

• haddock fillets
• leeks
• spinach
• creme fraiche
• potatoes
• Dijon mustard
• olive oil
• butter
• cornflour (corn starch)
• Grana Padano cheese 
• cheddar cheese
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Scroll to the end of this article to find the full recipe and all quantities of ingredients, with step-by-step photo instructions

 What is haddock?

Haddock is a white fleshed, mild flavoured fish that is found in the cold northern seas of Europe and North America. It’s a common fish in the UK and very popular.

What kind of fish can I substitute for haddock?

Haddock has been over fished in the past, and it can also sometimes be expensive. You can use any firm white fish, the usual substitutes are pollok, whiting or cod. You can also use smoked haddock although for this recipe I prefer unsmoked fish.

Can I use frozen fish in the Haddock Bake?

Yes, you certainly can use frozen fish fillets. These are very convenient and you just need to let them defrost enough that you can cut them into pieces. If they are still a little frozen it won’t make any difference to the finished bake.

Why do I have to clean the leeks?

Leeks grow in layers and they can trap some of the soil that they are grown in within their leaves. It’s very easy to wash this out, simply slice the leeks and soak them in cold water.

Move the leeks around in the water then lift them out into a colander with your hand or with a slotted spoon. There will be dirt left in the water in the bowl. Fill the bowl with clean water and repeat this process. I usually find two bowls of water is enough unless the leeks are very dirty.

Can I use pre-prepared or frozen leeks?

Yes, both pre-prepared and frozen leek slices work perfectly in this recipe with the added bonus that you don’t have to clean them.

Why do I need to use so much spinach?

Spinach leaves wilt down from, what seems like a massive amount, to a very reasonable portion. Just make sure you have a big enough pan and cover it so that the steam can do it’s work to wilt the spinach leaves. If you don’t have a lid you can cover the pan with aluminium foil.

Can I use frozen spinach?

Simply defrost the frozen spinach and heat gently in a pan or in the microwave before using it as described in the recipe.

What is Creme Fraiche?

Creme Fraiche is a cultured cream that is high in fat. Use full fat creme fraiche as half fat is more likely to split and curdle. Even though it is rich, the acidity from the culturing process makes creme fraiche a great choice for savoury recipes.

What can I substitute for Creme Fraiche?

Use double (heavy) cream or soured cream. If I use double cream I add a teaspoon of lemon juice to take the edge off the creaminess. Yogurt is not a good substitute for creme fraiche in this recipe. It is likely to split and go granular. It will still taste okay but will not look appetising.

I don’t have any Dijon Mustard, what can I substitute?

Dijon mustard is great for cooking because it is in the mid-range of mustard heat. If you substitute another mustard then you need to take into account whether it is a very hot mustard or a milder mustard and adjust the amount you use accordingly. For example, I use 1 heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard in this recipe but I would use a scant 1/2 teaspoon of English Mustard.

Do I have to use two different cheeses in the Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake?

I use Cheddar cheese and Grano Padano cheese in the sauce for this bake. You could use all cheddar but the hard Italian cheese has a good strong flavour that really works well with the sauce. Other cheeses to try are Gruyere, because of it’s great melting qualities and Parmesan which has a good strong flavour.

Can I make Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake ahead of time?

You can take the recipe up to spreading the sauce over the fish. Then cover and store in the fridge for one day adding the par-boiled potato topping before baking for 40 minutes until piping hot.

You can also make the complete dish, bake it and then cool and store for 24 hours before reheating thoroughly in the oven or microwave. If you reheat it in the microwave I suggest you pop the dish under the grill (broiler) for a few moments just to crisp up the potato topping.

Can I freeze Haddock Mornay Bake?

This bake does not freeze well. The sauce is likely to split and become watery if frozen. It’s better to use your freezer to store the ingredients such as the haddock, leeks and spinach.

Vegetarian

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

Gluten Free

This recipe contains no wheat flour. Please check any packaged ingredients such as the mustard and cornflour to ensure that they are suitable for your dietary needs.

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

How should I serve Cheesy Haddock and Potato Bake?

One of the things I like about this dish is that you really don’t need to serve anything extra with it if you don’t want to. Because it already contains potatoes and vegetables along with the fish.

It’s also a hearty, filling dish, so if you really want to serve a side dish, then I would suggest some green beans or a side salad. If you have a family of hollow-legged teenagers then serve some crusty bread and butter which will help mop up the sauce and fill any gaps!

More fish recipes

This recipe was first published in 2012.