yashwanthkesoju/MERN-Stack-Project ? reverse-engineered prompt

Build me a simple MERN style starter project that has a working backend and a clean place to grow the rest of the app later.

I want the server set up so I can run it locally, connect it to a database, and have a few basic API routes ready for common things like creating, reading, updating, and deleting records. Please make it easy to understand and organize the code in a sensible way, with clear separation for routes, controllers, and models if that fits. Add basic error handling, a health check route, and anything else that would make it feel like a solid foundation for a full app.

If anything is unclear, make reasonable choices and keep it simple. I’d also like a short note on how to start it and what I should edit first. If you need current setup details, look up the latest docs online.