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1
Cut county ham chips into roughly 1 inch pieces. Cook over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally until the outside is browned but not burned. If using bacon, cut into one inch pieces and brown over medium heat, flipping occasionally until crisp and brown. Reduce heat to medium. Drain oil. Return pan to burner.
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2
Add sugar and maple syrup, stirring the meat to coat. Let cook over medium heat, stirring every few seconds or so, until the sugar-maple mixture caramelizes and thickens, about 3 minutes, depending upon your 'char' preference. Once maple-meat mixture is browned and gooey, set aside.
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3
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until well-combined. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, reserving the other tablespoon.
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4
If challah is over 6 inches in length, cut each piece in half (I found long pieces tough to work with). Working in batches, drop in 4 pieces of challah to egg mixture. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Turn and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Place the bread in the heated skillet and cook until the bottom is browned and egg cooked through, about 3 minutes. turn. Add 1 slice of Swiss cheese or 1 ounce of shredded Gruyere to the cooked top of each piece of bread. The cheese will melt while the other side cooks, for about 3 minutes.
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5
Melt remaining butter and repeat previous step with remaining challah.
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6
When ready to serve, dust sandwich with powdered sugar or cinnamon (optional). Top with the candied ham/bacon. Serve with warmed maple syrup.
