Dan Lepard's baked cheese dumplings

After the festive period, my fridge is always full of odd bits of roast meat, leftover ham and bowls of leftover gravy. If you face a similar muddle, these solve it. The dough is hot with spices, loaded with cheese and, once baked on top of meat and gravy, it crisps to perfection. 300g plain flour, plus a little extra 2 tsp paprika (or mustard powder) ½ tsp cayenne or white pepper 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 50g butter 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed to a paste 175g firm cheese such as cheddar, grated One small onion (or 3 spring onions), chopped 200ml milk Put the flour, paprika, cayenne, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter and garlic, then mix in the cheese and onion. Stir in the milk to make a soft dough. Flour your hands, then divide and shape the mix into walnut-sized balls. Three-quarter fill a deep, ovenproof casserole with whatever cooked meat and sauce you've got – dark turkey meat doused in cider gravy is good, as is roast lamb with bacon, a slosh of red wine and Bisto gravy – hey, it's Saturday night, so short cuts are fine. Heat the meat in the oven, drop in the dumplings and bake at 200C (180C fan-assisted)/ 390F/gas mark 6 for 25 minutes. danlepard.com/guardian