The smell of turnip greens, pork tenderloin sitting on scalloped potatoes, meat loaf and Cajun jambalaya greeted visitors at the fellowship hall at Metropolitan United Methodist Church.

Cooks in aprons welcomed them in, but these cooks were not the genteel Southern women you would expect to have created such a fine feast.

A group of men were in the aprons, spooning out the deliciousness for $10 a plate on Sunday afternoon.

The annual Men Who Cook event at Metropolitan raised money for the church’s appointments, outreach and other scholarship programs. The church is celebrating its 145th anniversary this year.

Diners could feast on a variety of vegetables, entrees and desserts that lined the fellowship hall.

Dustin Sharp bought a meal he said was basically “nacho dip with chicken and noodles.” The chicken spaghetti was a combination of chicken, pasta, cheese, Rotel dip, cream of chicken soup and onions.

Sharp said he spent four to five hours cooking up the dish and a tray of sausage balls he also provided.

Vernon Buchanan said he was a regular cook providing such tasty dishes as chicken and dressing and macaroni and cheese in the past.

On Sunday, he dished out scalloped potatoes topped by pork tenderloin.

Sam Burrell, Sr. provided some of the cakes that were among the desserts.

“I went and bought the cakes,” Burrell said. “I have to tell the truth.”

Allen Shropshire started the event several years ago when he was looking for a fundraiser to help the church. He had lived up north for many years and had seen a similar event, he said, and it worked out well in Rome.

It’s not only church members who come out and support the dinner.

“We have participation from the community as well,” Shropshire said.