DY, What do you think of putting room temperature food on a cool hot plate which later be turned on with a shabbos clock and will reach yad soledes bo?
Dies the food have liquid in it? What type of hot plate is it?
It’s probably not assur mei’kar hadin either way, but I’ve seen poskim say not to set a coffee maker for Shabbos morning because of zilzul Shabbos, and that may apply here as well.