yakinebannour278-eng/TP1MernStack ? reverse-engineered prompt

Build me a simple backend for a MERN style app in Node.js.

I want a clean Express server with separate folders for routes, controllers, and utils, and I want it set up in a way that makes it easy to add basic CRUD features later. If it makes sense, connect it to MongoDB and use environment variables for things like the port and database URL. Add a few example routes and controllers so I can see how the app is meant to work, plus some small utility helpers if needed.

Please make the project easy to run, include the right package scripts, and organize the code so it is readable for someone still learning. If you need to check current best practices or docs online, go ahead.

I also want the server file to start everything cleanly and handle errors in a simple way.