Fish Pie
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Here’s my take on a classic Fish Pie with the most delightful combination of fish with lots of veggies in a creamy white sauce and topped with delicious mashed potatoes and cheese. This Fish Pie is a comforting, tasty and satisfying family favorite.
Easy Fish Pie Recipe
I love this fish pie, it’s like a Shepherd’s Pie but with fish, so if you’re aiming to add more fish to your diet, this fish pie is for you. It’s the perfect comfort dinner, quite easy to make, even though there are a few steps involved, but it’s so satisfying to put together. My favorite part is that golden, cheesy mashed potato topping, can’t beat that!
It’s an easy casserole-type of meal, that the whole family will enjoy, that combines three types of fish that don’t even require poaching, with delicious herbs and veggies, all topped off with creamy mashed potatoes. A definite delight for a family night in.
A little bit of extra effort required, but so worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Fish Pie
- Easy Recipe! This yummy one-pan meal only requires 10 simple ingredients and 15 minutes of prep! And you can use any type of fresh fish you like to make this recipe.
- Fantastic Fish Pie! It’s a delicious dish made with a fish mixture combined together in a rich creamy white sauce and then topped with buttery mashed potatoes and cheese.
- Comforting Family Meal! Fish pie is a tasty dish that is hearty and comforting. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd and a great way to incorporate more healthy fish into your family meals.
- Fish – I used a mix of raw cod, halibut and salmon. The great thing about this fish pie is that you can even use smoked fish and you’ll get some extra flavor. So feel free to use your favorite, other great fish is haddock, tilapia, whatever you like.
- Dill – Go with fresh dill for optimum flavor.
- Potatoes – Golden Yukon are my favorite to use for mashed potatoes, since they mash really well.
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best so we can control the sodium intake.
- Milk – I used 2% milk, even lactose free will work.
- Cheese – A nice sharp cheddar is perfect for this pie, whether it’s white or orange.
- Mustard – Dijon mustard will add a bit of tanginess to the filling.
- Veggies – Chopped carrots, frozen peas and green onions are my favorite veggies for this filling.
- Flour – A little bit of all-purpose flour is required to thicken our pie filling.
- Garlic – A little bit of minced garlic to enhance the flavor of our pie.
How To Make Fish Pie
- Boil potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cubed potatoes. Cook for for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
- Mash the potatoes: Place the drained potatoes back in the pot or a bowl, add the 3 tbsp of butter, the ⅔ cup of milk and ½ tsp of salt. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until creamy. Set aside.
- Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the veggies: In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the green onions, carrots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients: Slowly pour the 2 cups of milk to the skillet and whisk until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, dijon mustard and dill to the sauce and stir until the cheese melts. Add in the fish, gently stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and season with the salt and pepper.
- Assemble the pie: Pour the filling in a 9×13-inch ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Smooth with a spoon then take a fork and rough up the top a bit. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake the pie: Place the casserole dish on a baking pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top starts to get golden.
- Ready to serve: Garnish with more dill or parsley and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What veggies go well with fish pie?
Fish pie is a great meal on its own, however, you can serve it with a side of sautéed peas. Other vegetable side dishes like broccoli, cauliflower or green beans are also good options.
What type of fish can I use?
Hearty fish such a haddock, salmon, perch, tilapia, basa, snapper, monk fish, trout, halibut or cod go great with this type of recipe and bring a meaty flavor to the dish. Smoked fish is also great in a fisherman’s pie.
What other herbs can I use with my fish pie?
There are many herbs that go well with fish such as fresh dill, parsley, tarragon or chives go especially well with fish. However rosemary, basil and basil are also widely used.
Expert Tips
- Drain the potatoes well after boiling to you don’t get too much of a mushy texture when you place them mashed over your filling.
- When buying fish, make sure it doesn’t have a pungent, fishy smell – this is an indicator that the fish has gone bad. Look for firm-to-the-touch fillets that are moist and hold together well. Temperature is key to maintain the quality of your fish so it should either be on ice or in a well chilled area in the supermarket fridge or freezer.
- Also, when it comes to fish, sometimes frozen is in fact better. Vacuum sealed fillets that have been flash-frozen right after harvest maintain freshness much better than the fish at the seafood counter.
Leftovers
If you have any leftover pie, make sure to let it cool down to room temperature first. You can then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer
To freeze, allow the fish pie to cool completely. Store in individual airtight containers or one large container and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Fish Pie
Ingredients
For Mashed Potatoes
For Fish Pie
- 3 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 3 green onions (cut into ½ pieces on the diagonal)
- 2 medium carrots (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 2 cups white cheddar (shredded, divided)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
- 2 pounds fish (mixed such as cod, halibut, salmon, cut into 2 inch pieces.)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make the mashed potatoes
- Boil potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the cubed potatoes. Cook for for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.
- Mash the potatoes: Place the drained potatoes back in the pot or a bowl, add the 3 tbsp of butter, the ⅔ cup of milk and ½ tsp of salt. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until creamy. Set aside.
Make the fish filling
- Prep the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the veggies: In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the green onions, carrots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add the rest of the ingredients: Slowly pour the 2 cups of milk to the skillet and whisk until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, dijon mustard and dill to the sauce and stir until the cheese melts. Add in the fish, gently stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and season with the salt and pepper.
Assemble the fish pie
- Assemble the pie: Pour the filling in a 9×13-inch ovenproof dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Smooth with a spoon then take a fork and rough up the top a bit. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheddar cheese.
- Bake the pie: Place the casserole dish on a baking pan and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top starts to get golden.
- Ready to serve: Garnish with more dill or parsley and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Drain the potatoes well after boiling to you don’t get too much of a mushy texture when you place them mashed over your filling.
- When buying fish, make sure it doesn’t have a pungent, fishy smell – this is an indicator that the fish has gone bad. Look for firm-to-the-touch fillets that are moist and hold together well. Temperature is key to maintain the quality of your fish so it should either be on ice or in a well chilled area in the supermarket fridge or freezer.
- Also, when it comes to fish, sometimes frozen is in fact better. Vacuum sealed fillets that have been flash-frozen right after harvest maintain freshness much better than the fish at the seafood counter.
- If you have any leftover pie, make sure to let it cool down to room temperature first. You can then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To freeze, allow the fish pie to cool completely. Store in individual airtight containers or one large container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Hi from Western Australia! Made your fish pie for dinner tonight and it was really delicious!!! Thanks a million for the recipe!!!
Hello from the other side of the world! 🌏 I’m so happy you enjoyed the fish pie—makes my day to hear it made it onto your dinner table in Western Australia! Thanks for sharing the love, and here’s to many more delicious dinners! 🐟🥧
Just made this for dinner. It was great! Very easy and very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!😊
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this! Shepherds pie with fish! Yummy!
I really enjoyed this and the whole fam did too. Even the hubby who thought a fish is wasted if it wasn’t a fillet. To me this was shepherds pie with fish and delicious!
Hi from Saguenay! Made the fish pie last night. It was a success. My boyfriend got up to have a second plate. I used salmon, cod and shrimps. Did not have enough cheddar cheese on hand so I mixed it with gruyère. Mmmmm
Hi Claire!! I’m so glad you guys liked the fish pie! It’s probably not for everyone, but it’s really delicious!
I was wondering if instead of using a mix of fish, what about using scallops and shrimp? Would that work?
Yes, that’d be delicious. 🙂
I couldn’t believe how good this was! I’ve eaten a lot of fish in my life and was shocked how delicious it was, that I couldn’t stop eating it! Thanks Jo! I’ll be passing this winner on to friends and family.