British · Authentic-ish British
Cheese and onion pie
400 kcal a serving, against 707 for the traditional version. That is 307 kcal off, or 43%, with 13.7g of protein. Serves 6. 1 hour 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic cheese and onion pie: shortcrust pastry, top and bottom, filled with sliced potato, plenty of onion sweated in butter, and a heroic amount of Lancashire cheese.
What changed, and what each change costs
Double shortcrust pastry to pastry lid only
The base soaks up plenty of butter and cheese, and adds 60g flour and a good whack of butter per serving. Making it a top-only pie still gives you the golden lid and most of the crunch, but you ditch about half the pastry.
What it costs you. You lose the best bit if you're a pastry fan. The filling sits directly in the tin, so when you slice it, there's no bottom holding a wedge together. You'll need a spatula and a sense of acceptance.
Lancashire cheese down by half, and swap some for reduced-fat cheddar
Traditional Lancashire is about 30% fat, so it's an easy way to drop a load of calories. Using half Lancashire and half reduced-fat cheddar bumps up protein and keeps enough flavour.
What it costs you. You'll notice less rich tang and a bit less ooze. The texture goes less creamy and the top browns a bit differently, but at least you're not stuck with rubbery 'diet' cheese.
Butter for sweating onions swapped to a tiny splash of olive oil
The original uses a good lump of butter to give the onions that sweet, melting texture.
What it costs you. You don't get that luxurious, buttery flavour. The onions still sweeten, but the aroma isn't quite right. The filling feels lighter, and if you want to clutch your pearls about missing butter, you're not wrong.
Whole milk to semi-skimmed
Not the biggest change, but every little helps. It makes barely any difference in the filling's texture, but you'll have to take the saving where you can.
What it costs you. Absolutely zero taste penalty here unless you're drinking it by the glass.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 707 | 400 |
| Protein | 23.1g | 13.7g |
| Fat | 43.8g | 22.5g |
| Saturated fat | 26.9g | 13.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 55.8g | 36.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 3.3g | 3.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish British prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk, eggs.
The method is in the book
Here's the deal: if you're in it for the pastry, you'll feel short-changed. No crisp base, just a lid, and the filling's more like a cheesy potato bake than a sliceable wedge. But the flavour's not bad at all. The reduced cheese is still enough to keep the onion and potato together, and with a good pastry lid, you get most of the classic comfort. The third slice in never feels quite as virtuous, but this version is friendly enough on the numbers that you can have it for lunch and not spend all afternoon looking longingly at your trainers. Best eaten warm, with pickled onions or some sharp chutney to cut through the richness you've lost. If you want the full works, have a proper slice now and then, and don't apologise.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish British, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.