diff --git a/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts b/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
index 427f348..bbe750a 100644
--- a/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
+++ b/server/controllers/UserCtl.ts
@@ -5,16 +5,18 @@ import { StatusCode } from '../util/types';
 const UserInstance = new User();
 
 export default class UserCtl {
-    ok?: boolean
-    code?: number
-
     async getAll() {
         try {
-            const users = await UserInstance.getAllUsers();
+            // attempt to get users from database
+            const users: IUser[] | null = await UserInstance.getAllUsers();
+
+            // construct controller response
             const ok: boolean = users !== null;
             const code: StatusCode = ok ? StatusCode.OK : StatusCode.NotFound;
-            const data = ok ? users : "No users found.";
-            return new ControllerResponse(ok, code, data)
+            const data: IUser[] | string = ok ? users! : "No users found.";
+            
+            // send formatted response with either data or informative error message
+            return new ControllerResponse<IUser[] | string>(ok, code, data)
         } catch (error: any) {
             throw new Error(error);
         }
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ export default class UserCtl {
     async post(body: IUser) {
         try {
             const response = await UserInstance.post(body);
-            const ok: boolean = response !== null;
+            const ok = response !== null;
             const code = ok ? StatusCode.NewContent : StatusCode.BadRequest
             const data = ok ? response : "Bad request"
             return new ControllerResponse(ok, code, data);
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ export default class UserCtl {
     async getOne(id: number | string) {
         try {
             const user = await UserInstance.getOneByID(id);
-            const ok: boolean = user !== null;
+            const ok = user !== null;
             const code = ok ? StatusCode.OK : StatusCode.NotFound;
             const data = ok ? user : "User by this ID not found";
             return new ControllerResponse(ok, code, data);
diff --git a/server/jest/helpers/loginUser.ts b/server/jest/helpers/loginUser.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..996359e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/jest/helpers/loginUser.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import request from 'supertest';
+
+const agent = request('localhost:8080');
+
+export default async function loginUser(auth: { token: any }) {
+    const onResponse = (err: any, res: any) => {
+        if (err) throw err;
+        auth.token = res.body.token;
+    }
+
+    agent.post('/auth/login')
+        .send({
+            email: "verifieduser@test.com",
+            password: "verifieduser"
+        })
+        .end(onResponse);
+
+    return auth;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/jest/tests/util/loginUser.test.ts b/server/jest/tests/util/loginUser.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..320d643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/jest/tests/util/loginUser.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import loginUser from "../../helpers/loginUser"
+
+describe('login user', () => {
+    let auth = { token: undefined }
+    beforeAll(async () => {
+        auth = await loginUser(auth);
+    })
+
+    it('authenticates a hard-coded user', () => {
+        console.log(auth);
+        expect(auth.token).toBeDefined();
+    })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/routes/recipe.ts b/server/routes/recipe.ts
index 2db554f..71bfca8 100644
--- a/server/routes/recipe.ts
+++ b/server/routes/recipe.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const recipeRoute = (app: Express) => {
         const { filterby } = req.query;
 
         try {
-            let result: CtlResponse<IRecipe | string>;
+            let result: CtlResponse<IRecipe[] | string>;
             switch (filterby) {
                 case "allaccessible":
                     // result = await recipectl.getAllAccessible(user.id);
diff --git a/server/routes/users.ts b/server/routes/users.ts
index 878f6e5..417f3d0 100644
--- a/server/routes/users.ts
+++ b/server/routes/users.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const userRoute = (app: Express) => {
 
     // get all users
     router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
-        const result: CtlResponse<IUser | string> = await userCtl.getAll();
+        const result: CtlResponse<IUser[] | string> = await userCtl.getAll();
         res.status(result.code).send(result.data);
     })