Low Calorie Fish Pie

I just love Fish Pie, tasty chunks of fish, in a creamy sauce topped with mashed potatoes. This version is a Low Calorie Fish Pie which, although lower in calories,  still tastes great.  

I wrote about how I use the 5:2 Fasting Diet to control my weight and posted a recipe for Sweet and Sour Turkey Meatballs a few weeks ago.  This time I’ve developed a Low Calorie Fish Pie using ordinary ingredients and coming in at under 300 kcals per portion. 

As a child I remember my Mum making fish pie quite often, we had a fish van that visited the village, in fact, I think it still does, and it would usually be whiting and smoked haddock that she would buy for a fish pie.  Fish Pie was a good way to make a little fish go a long way for a growing family.

I used a pack of fish pie mix which included smoked haddock, salmon and haddock, it’s a handy way to get some different flavours and textures into your fish pie.  I also added spinach rather than the parsley that Mum would have mixed into the sauce.  Spinach is a great vegetable when you are looking for a low calorie vitamin and mineral boost, and it’s only 7 calories per 100g!

Another of my Mum’s tips was to use cornflour to make the sauce rather than making a roux with butter and flour, this also cuts down on the fat and calories, if the sauce is well seasoned then you won’t miss the butter.  I used a teaspoon of Captain Cat’s Mor Fish Seasoning, which I found in Marks and Spencers, but some sea salt and freshly ground pepper will do just as well. 

To make my mash fine enough to pipe, I put my potatoes through a potato ricer, but you don’t have to pipe it, just dollop it on, the crustier it looks, the more nice crisp bits will form in the oven – delicious!

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Low Calorie Fish Pie

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

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

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: fish, low calorie, pie

Servings: 4

Calories: 275 kcal

Author: Farmersgirl Kitchen

Ingredients

• 400 g frozen fish pie mix or mixed fresh fish pieces
• 200 g spinach
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 450 ml semi-skimmed milk
• 500 g potatoes
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Peel and chop the potatoes and boil until soft.
2. Push the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or mash.
3. Add a little semi-skimmed milk to get a creamy mash consistency.
4. 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.
5. Pour the hot milk into the cornflour paste and stir until thoroughly mixed, then heat for 1 more minute in the microwave until thickened.
6. Season the sauce with salt & pepper or other seasonings of your choice. The sauce should be quite thick as the frozen fish and the spinach will release water while cooking in the pie.
7. Place the frozen fish in an ovenproof dish, add half the sauce, then cover with the spinach leaves.
8. Pour over the remaining sauce, the spinach will wilt with the heat of the sauce.
9. Top the fish and spinach with the mash (you don't have to pipe it, but it does look pretty).
10. Beat the egg and brush the top of the mash with beaten egg.
11. Bake for 40 minutes at 170C or until bubbling and golden brown.

Recipe 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

The Low-Calorie Fish Pie does not really need accompaniment as it includes spinach, but I served my fish pie with some fresh runner beans that my neighbour had given us from her garden. 

As this Low Calorie Fish Pie is based on my Mum’s fish pie recipe, I’m linking up with Inheritance Recipes, the linky run by Coffee and Vanilla and Pebble Soup  This month the linky is being hosted at Coffee and Vanilla so pop over and check out the recipes. 

FOR MORE LOW CALORIE RECIPES FOLLOW MY 5:2 PINTEREST BOARD